Titulo Estágio
AccessToXR - Design of accessibility guidelines for Extended Reality
Local do Estágio
Rua Alfredo Allen 455/461, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Enquadramento
Motivations and Objectives:
Currently, XR accessibility guidelines are still in their early stages of development, and they face challenges in terms of validation and widespread implementation. One significant issue is the lack of technical details that could effectively guide developers throughout the design process, leaving them uncertain about the best practices to follow. Furthermore, there is a notable disconnection between the guidelines and the real experiences of users with disabilities, as their perspectives are not adequately represented in the existing guidelines. Ji et al. 2023 highlighted some of the current challenges mentioned by XR developers, such as lack of concrete implementation examples of accessibility features, lacking the first-person perspective of users with disabilities, and absence of development tools for XR accessibility.
This master thesis aims to contribute to the field of XR accessibility by investigating current best practices and developing comprehensive guidelines specifically tailored for users with disabilities. By conducting a thorough review of existing literature, conducting user research, and employing participatory methods, the student will gather valuable insights to inform the development of a cohesive and inclusive set of accessibility guidelines. These guidelines will serve as a valuable resource for developers and designers, offering practical guidance on how to design and create more accessible XR applications. Ultimately, this research endeavour seeks to foster a more inclusive XR environment and enhance the user experience for individuals with disabilities.
Objetivo
Innovative Aspects:
This master thesis will directly contribute to the state of the art concerning accessibility best practices in XR. The current lack of validated accessibility guidelines for developers and designers is impacting users with disabilities as XR experiences are not designed or implemented with the needs of individuals with disabilities in mind. This can lead to exclusion and limited access for people with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive impairments.
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
Workplan:
1st semester
- Conduct literature review on extended reality and current accessibility best practices in XR;
- Prepare and conduct diary study with users with different disabilities;
- Follow-up user interviews.
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
Workplan (cont.):
2nd semester
- Prepare and conduct participatory design with users;
- Conduct usability testing of different accessibility practices with users;
- Documentation of guidelines and best practices;
- Thesis writing.
Condições
Profile Requirements:
- Experience in designing UI interfaces;
- Willingness to perform interdisciplinary work;
- Proficiency in the English language;
- Basic knowledge of planning and conductive qualitative studies is a plus;
- Experience with coding is a plus.
Observações
Bibliography:
- Heilemann, F., Zimmermann, G., & Münster, P. (2021). Accessibility Guidelines for VR Games—A Comparison and Synthesis of a Comprehensive Set. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2. [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.697504](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.697504)
- Ji, T. F., Hu, Y., Huang, Y., Du, R., & Zhao, Y. (2023). A Preliminary Interview: Understanding XR Developers’ Needs towards Open-Source Accessibility Support. 2023 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 493–496. [https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW58643.2023.00107](https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW58643.2023.00107)
- XR Accessibility User Requirements. (2021, August 25).
https://www.w3.org/TR/xaur/#gestural-interfaces-and-interactions
Orientador
Filippo Talami
filippo.talami@aicos.fraunhofer.pt 📩