Accessibility in the Metaverse: A Rapid Review of the Literature
Abstract
The Metaverse gained popularity with the rebranding of Meta, and since then, headsets, multimodal devices, and applications with immersive experiences have evolved and been applied in various domains such as marketing, education, and industry, among others. However, we question whether individuals with disabilities are also able to have immersive experiences. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a Rapid Reviewto identify the state of the art in accessibility within the Metaverse. From 145 studies identified in the Scopus search engine, 141 studies were excluded, resulting in 4 articles for data extraction. We found that there is significant ambiguity in the use of the term "accessibility," which led to a high exclusion rate of studies. Furthermore, we did not identify any work that implements assistive technologies to enable immersive experiences for individuals with disabilities. For future research, we aim to conduct a more comprehensive systematic review to obtain more consistent results on the state of the art in accessibility within the Metaverse.
Keywords:
Accessibility, Metaverse, Rapid Review
References
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James Chung-Wai Cheung, Ming Ni, Andy Yiu-Chau Tam, Tim Tin-Chun Chan, Alyssa Ka-Yan Cheung, Ocean Yu-Hong Tsang, Chi-Bun Yip, Wing-Kai Lam, and Duo Wai-Chi Wong. 2022. Virtual reality based multiple life skill training for intellectual disability: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Engineered Regeneration 3, 2 (2022), 121–130. DOI: 10.1016/j.engreg.2022.03.003
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Sumanth Suryanarayan, Krishnananda Shenoy, Sreekanth Sasidharan, and Kaushik Pai. 2022. Engineering the Metaverse for Maximum Digital Impact. Accessed 28 July 2022, [link].
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Andrea C Tricco, Etienne Langlois, Sharon E Straus, World Health Organization, et al. 2017. Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: a practical guide. World Health Organization.
Yuntao Wang, Zhou Su, Ning Zhang, Dongxiao Liu, Rui Xing, Tom H. Luan, and Xuemin Shen. 2022. A Survey on Metaverse: Fundamentals, Security, and Privacy. DOI: 10.48550/ARXIV.2203.02662
Gokul Yenduri, Rajesh Kaluri, Dharmendra Singh Rajput, Kuruva Lakshmanna, Thippa Reddy Gadekallu, Mufti Mahmud, and David J. Brown. 2023. From Assistive Technologies to Metaverse—Technologies in Inclusive Higher Education for Students With Specific Learning Difficulties: A Review. IEEE Access 11 (2023), 64907–64927. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3289496
Matteo Zallio and P. John Clarkson. 2022. Designing the metaverse: A study on inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety for digital immersive environments. Telematics and Informatics 75 (2022), 101909. DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2022.101909
Bruno Cartaxo, Gustavo Pinto, and Sergio Soares. 2020. Rapid Reviews in Software Engineering. Springer International Publishing, Cham, 357–384. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-32489-6_13
James Chung-Wai Cheung, Ming Ni, Andy Yiu-Chau Tam, Tim Tin-Chun Chan, Alyssa Ka-Yan Cheung, Ocean Yu-Hong Tsang, Chi-Bun Yip, Wing-Kai Lam, and Duo Wai-Chi Wong. 2022. Virtual reality based multiple life skill training for intellectual disability: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Engineered Regeneration 3, 2 (2022), 121–130. DOI: 10.1016/j.engreg.2022.03.003
Sittisak Chomjan, Panita Wannapiroon, and Prachyanun Nilsook. 2023. Intelligent Metaverse Museum Based on the Universal Design to Enhance Immersive Learning Experiences. In 2023 Research, Invention, and Innovation Congress: Innovative Electricals and Electronics (RI2C). 83–87. DOI: 10.1109/RI2C60382. 2023.10356029
Armando Cruz, Diana Carvalho, Tânia Rocha, and Paulo Martins. 2022. Towards an Accessibility Evaluation of eLearning Tools in Emerging 3D Virtual Environments Like Metaverse: Taking Advantage of Acquired Knowledge in Moodle and Second Life. In Technology and Innovation in Learning, Teaching and Education, Arsénio Reis, João Barroso, Paulo Martins, Athanassios Jimoyiannis, Ray Yueh-Min Huang, and Roberto Henriques (Eds.). Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, 131–144.
Adson Damasceno, Pamella Soares, Ismayle Santos, Jerffeson Souza, and Francisco Oliveira. 2023. Assistive Technology for Distance Education in Metaverse-Based Environment: A Rapid Review. In Anais do XXXIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação (Passo Fundo/RS). SBC, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, 693–706. DOI: 10.5753/sbie.2023.234543
Heloisa Brunow Ventura Di Nubila and Cassia Maria Buchalla. 2008. O papel das Classificações da OMS-CID e CIF nas definições de deficiência e incapacidade. Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia 11 (2008), 324–335.
John Dudley, Lulu Yin, Vanja Garaj, and Per Ola Kristensson. 2023. Inclusive Immersion: a review of efforts to improve accessibility in virtual reality, augmented reality and the metaverse. Virtual Reality 27, 4 (December 2023), 2989–3020. DOI: 10.1007/s10055-023-00850-8
Filipe Fernandes and Cláudia Werner. 2022. Accessibility in the Metaverse: Are We Prepared?. In Anais do XIII Workshop sobre Aspectos da Interação Humano-Computador para a Web Social (Diamantina). SBC, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, 9–15. DOI: 10.5753/waihcws.2022.226618
Filipe Arantes Fernandes, Claudia Susie Camargo Rodrigues, Eldânae Nogueira Teixeira, and Cláudia M. L. Werner. 2023. Immersive Learning Frameworks: A Systematic Literature Review. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies 16, 5 (2023), 736–747. DOI: 10.1109/TLT.2023.3242553
Filipe A. Fernandes and Cláudia M. L. Werner. 2022. A Scoping Review of the Metaverse for Software Engineering Education: Overview, Challenges, and Opportunities. PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality 31 (12 2022), 107–146. DOI: 10.1162/pres_a_00371 arXiv: [link]
Won-Jun Jeong, Gi-Sung Oh, Seok-Hee Oh, and Taeg-Keun Whangbo. 2022. Establishment of Production Standards forWeb-Based Metaverse Content: Focusing on Accessibility and HCI. Journal of Web Engineering 21, 8 (2022), 2231–2256. DOI: 10.13052/jwe1540-9589.2181
Barbara Kitchenham and Stuart Charters. 2007. Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering - Version 2.3. Technical Report EBSE-2007-01. Keele University and University of Durham.
JooHyun Lee, Tae Seon Lee, SeungWoo Lee, JiHye Jang, SuYoung Yoo, YeJin Choi, and Yu Rang Park. 2022. Development and Application of a Metaverse-Based Social Skills Training Program for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Improve Social Interaction: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols 11, 6 (8 Jun 2022), e35960. DOI: 10.2196/35960
World Health Organization. 2007. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: Children & Youth Version: ICF-CY. World Health Organization.
Kai Petersen, Robert Feldt, Shahid Mujtaba, and Michael Mattsson. 2008. Systematic mapping studies in software engineering. In 12th international conference on evaluation and assessment in software engineering (EASE). BCS Learning & Development.
Jean-Marc Seigneur and Mohamed-Amine Choukou. 2022. Howshould metaverse augment humans with disabilities?. In 13th Augmented human international conference. 1–6.
Fanar Shwedeh. 2024. Harnessing digital issue in adopting metaverse technology in higher education institutions: Evidence from the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Data and Network Science 8, 1 (2024), 489–504.
Sumanth Suryanarayan, Krishnananda Shenoy, Sreekanth Sasidharan, and Kaushik Pai. 2022. Engineering the Metaverse for Maximum Digital Impact. Accessed 28 July 2022, [link].
Fredrik Svenaeus. 2014. Diagnosing mental disorders and saving the normal. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 17, 2 (2014), 241–244. DOI: 10.1007/s11019-013-9529-6
Andrea C Tricco, Etienne Langlois, Sharon E Straus, World Health Organization, et al. 2017. Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: a practical guide. World Health Organization.
Yuntao Wang, Zhou Su, Ning Zhang, Dongxiao Liu, Rui Xing, Tom H. Luan, and Xuemin Shen. 2022. A Survey on Metaverse: Fundamentals, Security, and Privacy. DOI: 10.48550/ARXIV.2203.02662
Gokul Yenduri, Rajesh Kaluri, Dharmendra Singh Rajput, Kuruva Lakshmanna, Thippa Reddy Gadekallu, Mufti Mahmud, and David J. Brown. 2023. From Assistive Technologies to Metaverse—Technologies in Inclusive Higher Education for Students With Specific Learning Difficulties: A Review. IEEE Access 11 (2023), 64907–64927. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3289496
Matteo Zallio and P. John Clarkson. 2022. Designing the metaverse: A study on inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety for digital immersive environments. Telematics and Informatics 75 (2022), 101909. DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2022.101909
Published
2025-06-03
How to Cite
FERNANDES, Filipe; FERREIRA, Priscyla; WERNER, Cláudia.
Accessibility in the Metaverse: A Rapid Review of the Literature. In: ACM INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTERACTIVE MEDIA EXPERIENCES WORKSHOPS (IMXW), 25. , 2025, Niterói/RJ.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2025
.
p. 120-124.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/imxw.2025.7075.
