Virtual reality (VR) offers new and compelling ways for users to interact with digital content. VR provides immersive experiences that can be beneficial in various applications, such as gaming, training simulations, education, communication, and design.
As VR technologies continue to mature, and as commercial VR systems continue to grow in popularity, an opportunity exists to understand how to incorporate accessibility as a fundamental component in the design of VR systems.
In this talk, Martez Mott, Ph.D., will describe ongoing research efforts to understand and eliminate accessibility barriers experienced by people with limited mobility when using VR systems.
First, Mott will discuss the results of a study to identify challenges people with limited mobility encounter when using VR. Second, he will discuss approaches to make scene viewing in VR more accessible to people with limited or restricted movement in their head or neck. To conclude, Mott will discuss opportunities for future work to make VR more accessible and inclusive to people with a range of abilities.
Mott is a Senior Researcher in the Ability Group at Microsoft Research. In his research, Mott designs, implements, and evaluates intelligent interaction techniques to improve the accessibility of computer devices for people with limited mobility.
His current research focuses on how to identify and overcome accessibility barriers embedded in the design of virtual and augmented reality systems.
Mott received his Ph.D. in Information Science from the Information School at the University of Washington. Prior to attending UW, he received his B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University.