Metaverse

The metaverse refers to a persistent, interconnected network of virtual and mixed-reality spaces where users can interact, collaborate, and engage with digital content and each other in real time. It extends XR concepts — virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality — into an always-on social and economic environment. In healthcare and accessibility contexts, the metaverse is explored as a platform for delivering remote therapy, social connection, and patient self-management at scale. Accessibility challenges within the metaverse are significant, including hardware cost and physical barriers to using headsets, motion sickness, and the risk that virtual environments designed without inclusive principles could replicate or amplify the exclusions present in the physical world.