Inclusive, immersive, imaginative and imperative

©Open Inclusion 2020
Inclusive, immersive, imperative and imaginative
Immerse UK Webinar, January 2020
Christine Hemphill, Open Inclusion
www.openinclusion.com
@openforaccess
How inclusive design empowers your immersive experiences

1. Who does inclusive design include?
2. Why does it matter?
3. How can immersive technologies include
or exclude users?
4. What can you do about this?
5. Discussion
A quick look at the session today
Our Goal
Hopefully by the end of this
session you will have a better feel
for how immersive technologies
can be used by a broader base of
users as well your role as a
creator to make that possible.

3
Who am I?
Christine Hemphill
Founder and Managing Director, Open Inclusion
Inclusive researcher
Human centred designer and strategist
Market and economic value researcher
Inclusion-led innovator
Emerging technology optimist
Re XR, involved as inclusive researcher in two immersive design projects
and an expert contributor to the XRAccess forum
Someone who loves great human-centred design & innovation and uses
insight, combined with emerging technology to create great experiences
that are better for all users.

4
open.inclusion
open.insights
open.access
open.minds
open.ability
open.value
We provide:
• User insight and engagement
• Market research
• Inclusion-led innovation
• Inclusive design solutions
• Workplace inclusion
Open is an inclusive research,
design and innovation consultancy.
Designing better experiences

Better understanding
better solutions
better for all
Broaden the value
Innovate / embed
Human-centred design
Universal / adaptive
?
Inclusive insight
Listening / learning
Our services

HCD is a great theory and relatively pervasive across product and
service design communities.
However, it is usually practically applied with a very limited sub-set of
“humans” making the engagement and insight misleading. Limited
budget, awareness, inclusive engagement skills and time combine to
create this gap
Extreme users are needed to stretch design and identify potential
experience break points. This allows potential failures to be designed
out before they get embedded in products and services.
Accessibility has a negative brand
Accessibility is closely connected with compliance for many people,
especially those building products in organisations.
The practices are also predominantly focused on technical
accessibility to prevent legal or reputational risk, not real inclusion
to generate better, more consistent experiences and value.
Standards and guidelines by their nature must always lag customer
needs, preferences and contexts. They’re also quite blunt as design
or QA tools as they need to be generalized to all markets,
industries and journeys.
Human centred design is pervasive but poorly practiced
Human centred design and accessibility are both flawed.
We are working to fix them

A quick look at the session today
1. Who does inclusive design include?
2. Why does it matter?
3. How can immersive technologies include or exclude users?
4. What can you do about this?
5. Discussion

We are human. Humans are fabulously, endlessly diverse.

9
Desigual campaign Sept 18
Difference is
what we
all have in
common
Our greatest point of consistency is our difference!
Some differences are visible, most are hidden, many are variable
“

We are not even consistent of ourselves. We vary today to tomorrow,
in different environments, moods, and as we age.

This diversity may seem complex, but when designing products and services it comes
down to 3 areas that mix in significantly different ways
We sense differently We move differently We think and feel
differently
Sight Neuro-
diversity
DexterityHearing Health, mental health,
context and event-based
vulnerabilities
Mobility

Disabled or disabling? An unmet need, personal identity or legal definition.
An unmet need
The word “disability” can validly be used in three ways. So it is helpful to be clear about its context in use.
A mismatch between the environment and
the user at that moment. This is the social
model of disability and WHO definition.
Needs may be permanent, temporary,
fluctuating or situational.
An identity
How some people wish to self-identify.
A community they are proud to be part of.
A legally protected characteristic under
the UK Equality Act 2010 and
equivalent laws in most nations.
A legal definition

People vary.
Exclusion, which creates disability is not designing for variance
“Experiences disable people with impairments”
Jamie Knight (+Lion)

A simple truth.
An inconvenient truth.
An uncomfortable truth.
Inclusion isn’t about “them”.
It’s designing for our humanity.
Inclusive designs support our variance,
today, tomorrow and in the future.

“
Kat Holmes
Ex. Microsoft Inclusive Design
Current Director of UX, Google
As innovators you get to define who is included or excluded in the future.
This covers experiences, functionality, products, services and society.
For better or worse, the people who design the
touchpoints of society determine who can participate
and who’s left out.
Often unwittingly”.

“Disabled” “Impaired”
We all have varying physical and cognitive abilities
We identify differently to our access needs
Not designing for this market will mean your product may be unsuitable for
20% all users all the time and 100% of users some of the time
Permanent Access today
1 in 5
Age related needs
Temporary / situational
Tomorrow
1 in 3
Specific
Consideration
2 in 5
Household consideration
All of us

The market value of those with permanent access needs is huge,
and growing as society ages. Let alone the broader market that benefits
15%
Of discretionary spend in the UK
and growing as the population ages
£274b
=

19
Scale of different access needs. +60% of disabled people have more than one concurrent
need. Prevalence and co-morbidity increases with age.
Some
hearing loss
Impairment type Millions
(Total = 13.9m)
Mobility 6.5
Stamina / fatigue 4.9
Dexterity 3.5
Mental health 3.4
Memory 2.1
Hearing 1.8
Vision 1.6
Learning 1.8
Social / behavioural 1.2
Other 2.3
Please note that due to co-morbidities (people having more than 1 need impacting them at the same
time), this list adds to more than the 13.9m total people who are legally defined as disabled in the UK.
Source Family Resources Survey 2017/18
Mobility
Stamina
/fatigue
Dexterity
Mental
health
Memory
Hearing
Vision
Learning
Social

20
Inclusion is a filter that makes the identification of transformative, valuable ideas easier
Unmet
consumer
needs
Valuable
innovation
Emerging
technologies
and capability

21
The value of inclusive design is both tactical and strategic (short- and long-term benefits)
There are 4 major reasons that inclusive design
is a strategic advantage as a business
Customer Reach /
Experience
Cost of
Development and
Management
Innovation Risk Management
• Include 20% more users
with a permanent access
need
• Include 100% of us as and
when our needs arise
• Improved usability and
experience
• Brand attributes
• 1% of cost at design stage
to understand and design
needs in can equate to
more than 100% of
additional cost once live
• Economising early on costs
a lot more than you may
realise
• More needs and constraints
awareness offers insight to
deep opportunities
• Solving these opportunities
has given us Siri,
touchscreens, typewriters,
haptics …
• It is a legal requirement not
to exclude people without a
reasonable alternative
provided based on disability
• Even more importantly,
failing this can create major
reputational costs

23
So how do we do this when everyone is different?
Sensory difference Physical difference Cognitive difference
Sight Neuro-
diverse
DexterityHearing Health, mental health
and event-based
vulnerabilities
Mobility

24
Disclaimer!
Please note these slides are an initial quick start guide
only. They are by no means definitive, covering all users
needs, requirements or available materials. Please keep
reading and learning as there is so much more available
and coming out every month right now.
Vision – quick start guide
The range of needs that this
category includes
Blind
Partially sighted
Colour blind
Light or colour sensitivity
Motion sensitivity
Hardware, content and interaction challenges
Projects, resources and reference materials
• IMAC Project addressing needs of users with hearing and vision impairments with
an accessible 360o content player. Access services include subtitles, Sign Language,
audio description and audio subtitles. Assistive technology support (zoom, guiding
indicator, voice control)
• Microsoft’s Seeing VR for low vision users or Canetroller for blind users that
leverages haptic feedback via the users’ cane in a virtual space
• Enable visual content augmentation. This includes magnification, key content
enhancement, colour contrast and modification to preferences
• Standardise semantics for scenes and models (e.g. gITF format)
• Incorporate sound and voiced alternatives for all core visual content such as
audio described key content.
• Leverage binaural audio for detailing key information via directional sound
input. A rich, enhanced augmented experience in and of itself!

Case study – SeeingVR from Microsoft for low vision users
25
User preference based (applicable with no developer support)
• Magnification and bi-focus lens
• Brightness lens
• Increased contrast
• Edge enhancement
• Colour adjustment
• Text augmentation
• Text to speech – audio augmentation
• Peripheral re-mapping
• Depth measurement tool
Developer supported tools (need developer support)
• Object description
• Guideline tool
• Use of Mobile Apps that help people with low vision
• Unity toolkit – 3 new game object fields
SeeingVR – set of 14 tools to augment VR experiences

26
Hearing – quick start guide
category includes
D/deaf
Hard of hearing
Noise sensitive
Tinnitus
• Incorporate captioning or signed content as alternative to audio content
• Captions, sub-titling or signed content placement and customisation
• Modify / enhance audio content – options to reduce background noise and / or
enhance key content or modify problematic sounds
• Any auditory affordances need visual alternatives
• Binaural audio track that is customizable and offers alternative settings
• IMAC Project addressing needs of users with hearing and vision impairments with
an accessible 360o content player. Access services include subtitles, Sign Language,
audio description and audio subtitles. Assistive technology support (zoom, guiding
indicator, voice control)
• The W3C immersive captions community group which covers best practices for
access, activation, display and placement of captions

Case study – ImAc Player
27
The player includes
• A portal for language selection, personalisation, search and filter,
content catalogue and content selection
• A user interface that provides responsive design, is adapted specifically
to VR environments, allows voice control and visual feedback to
commands
• Menu opened and managed by voice control or looking down to limit
menu overlays breaking experience
• Access services that include support for,
• Subtitles (attached to speakers and locations of action, or always
centered with guiding mechanisms available)
• Sign Language (covering different languages, appear only as
required and with options for placement)
• Audio Description (3D audio based, 3 placement modes
supported, independent audio settings), and
• Audio Subtitles (when content is in a foreign language)
ImAc Project and Player – an EU funded programme

28
Mobility / dexterity – quick start guide
The range of needs that this category
includes
Wheelchair/mobility aid users
Slow ambulation
Limited stamina, flexibility or balance
Functional nerve or muscular limitation
Limb loss
Chronic pain
Arm, hand or finger loss or limitation
regarding flexion, function, coordination
or strength.
Tremor
Hand size variance
• Setting up for use. What motion or dexterity is required to setup and finish an
experience? How can this be designed for greater ease for all?
• Reduction of physical discomfort while wearing the device and engaging with the
content
• A need for easier interfaces with alternative input mechanism so assistive or
adaptive devices (voice, switch, eye-tracking, keyboard etc.) can be used in place of
the standard player
• Ability for users to adapt physical interaction elements such as touch target size,
accuracy or speed, for those with limited dexterity or movement
• Roland Dubois’ Motrocity in the Immersive Web presentation Nov 19
• W3C Github on User Needs and Requirements
• 3DRudder,(feet) Ultraleap (mid-air haptic) alternative inputs

Case study – 3DRudder in conjunction with Xbox Adaptive controller
29
xx
• xx
xxx
The controller is,
• A peripheral alternate input device
• Can be used as a foot keyboard, joystick, mouse or VR motion controller
sticks
• Can be connected to PC or VR games (available on Steam VR and the
Oculus Store)
• Enables seated position low effort, controlled action
• Provides foot spin and buttons that are customisable
• Can be used in conjunction with other adaptive controllers such as the
Xbox adaptive
3DRudder – a foot motion VR gaming controller
A recent accident has left me without the use of my left
hand.Thanks to peripherals like the 3dRudder, I am excited
to be able to continue playing my favorite games

30
Memory or learning - quick start guide
category includes
Memory: Acute, chronic,
fluctuating or progressive
memory challenges which can be
precipitated by situational,
illness, injury or disease factors.
Learning: Specific learning
difficulty such as reading,
numbers or spacial challenges.
Generalised processing or
decisioning challenges.
• Reduce setup (hardware and content) complexity a massive challenge to many
users, particularly acute for those who learn differently or have memory
challenges
• Provide staged learning and additional cues or layered information that allow
for alternate learning styles and memory
• Allow users to turn off non-critical information to concentrate focus on key
elements of the experience
• Ensure there is an easy to find and quick to trigger “safe space” if the user
becomes overwhelmed at any point
• Allow for alternate speeds of information absorption and interaction
• W3C Guide, Making content usable for people with cognitive disabilities
• Simulators of various conditions such as A Walk Through Dementia help designers
consider differing needs by leveraging immersive technologies

31
Communication and social – quick start guide
category includes
Communication: Speech,
articulation including
stutter/clutter/lisp, aphasia, sign
language, lip reading, accents
and non-native language usage.
Social: interaction challenges
such as Autism, Tourette's or
ADD/ADHD.
• Allow all and any voice inputs both for setup and in-content experience to have
an alternate input option
• Ensure any support services such as call centres have an online or text chat
alternative
• For all multi-player interactive experiences design in quiet spaces just as you
would for physical environment
• Provide user set time limits for those who may otherwise lose track of time in
an immersive environment
• Using immersive technologies to simulate neurodiverse experiences in the real
world such as BBC Project Cape and The National Autistic Society TMI Experience

Besides challenges, immersive technologies are also providing some fabulous solutions for
people with various health conditions, disabilities and other access needs
IrisVision for Low Vision
Pain RelieVR for pain relief
VR for managing social anxiety
Neurological and physical rehab

Inclusive insight provides rich design inputs
You will learn so much more when you ask people with specific access needs

To create great inclusive experiences you need 3 things – whether you are developing
immersive experiences or for any other interface or environment
Listen
Ongoing insight
Design
Improve experiences
Embed
Integrate capability

These 3 steps ideally form an ongoing cycle of improvement reinforcing each other

Demographics Ages: 18 - 85 Ethnicity Socio-economic Sexual identity
Physical
Mobility
Manual dexterity
Balance
Speech impediment
Limb loss / loss of
function
Sensory
Blind
Partially sighted
Colour blind
Deaf/deaf
Hard of hearing
DeafBlind
Neurodiversity
Mental health
Dyslexia/dyspraxia
Learning difficulties
Cognitively diverse
Autism spectrum
Language difficulties
Other
Just older
No smell/taste
Under 4'11”
Over 6’ 3”
Major health
challenges
Complex
conditions
Chronic pain
The Open Research Panel (500 people), an unfair advantage that you may wish to benefit from

39
In practice: what one day of testing with a diverse user group can identify
Impairment
Experience
Low vision Blind Hard of
Hearing
D/deaf Dexterity Mobility /
balance
Attention /
learning / dys.
Autism
spectrum
TOTAL
Physical set up 2 3 1 1 3 2 2 1 15
Content set up 2 3 2 2 2 0 2 1 14
Core visual content
2 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 10
Core auditory content
0 0 2 3 0 0 1 1 7
Visual prompts 2 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 8
Auditory prompts 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 1 7
Hand Controls (Vive &
Oculus)
1 2 0 0 3 2 2 2 12
Head movement 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 5
Body movement (6DOF)
2 2 0 0 0 3 2 1 10
Sensory overload 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 9
TOTAL 12 17 8 10 9 12 16 13
Rated
0 – no difficulty
1 – some friction / difficulty
2 – significant difficulty
3 – barrier

Humans are fabulously, endlessly diverse.
No two peoples’ senses, physicality, cognition, skills and preferences are the same.
Design needs to understand and reflect these human differences.
Then we’ll solve more problems, create better products and optimize value.
It’s not the efforts made, time or money invested,
or the guidelines and standards complied with,
but the impact on target users that actually counts.
Let’s make experiences that are great for us all.
Designing fabulous XR experiences for the real world

Further resources for your reference
XRAccess is a global community established last year that is dedicated
to making immersive experiences accessible to people with all
abilities. There are 6 working groups
Game accessibility guidelines from an industry that has been
considering XR for longer than most others and is has a great team of
experts working on accessibility. Reach out to the group AbleGamers if
you are interested in this industry segment.
RNIB in the UK is very actively involved in the IMAC project mentioned
earlier and immersive inclusion for people who are blind or have low
vision. (Sonali Rai is the best point of contact there)
Some places you may find more information and resources to help you
W3C Workshop “Inclusive Design for Immersive Web Standards”
Proceedings from November 2019 in Seattle
W3C Github covering User Needs and Requirements in immersive
technologies
Why VR/AR Developers Should Prioritize Accessibility in UX/UI
Design article by Ben Formaker-Olivas on Medium
Open Inclusion come and ask us about getting valuable, inclusive
user insight and design guidance for your next (or current)
immersive project. We understand XR and can help you co-design
or test your designs with people with personal access requirements
that will test and stretch your solutions, making them better for all.

openinclusion.com@openforaccess
better for all
Thank you for your time!
christine@openinclusion.com

Inclusive, immersive, imaginative and imperative

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