Why the metaverse needs to put accessibility first
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably heard quite a bit about the ‘metaverse’, starting with the Facebook Meta announcement.
The idea of the metaverse actually goes back to 1992’s Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, but since the COVID-19 pandemic started more and more people have turned towards this new digital realm.
Hope is building for a different kind of world because the ‘real one’ has seen some very disruptive social and economical changes.
In order to access the metaverse it obviously has to be, you guessed it, accessible. The software on hardware devices often has a number of accessibility features like VoiceOver or AssistiveTouch enabling blind people or people with limited mobility to use their devices comfortably. However, the technology isn’t always considered in the development of applications, making some platforms hard and frustrating to use. The ‘old internet’ didn’t do very well in that field either so it’s only natural for concerns to arise regarding the future of accessibility in the metaverse.
Internet, you failed
You would (like to) think in 2022 everyone is able to use the internet as it is. Yet, according to AbilityNet 90% of websites are still inaccessible to people with disabilities who rely on assistive technology. Knowing that 15% of adults have a form of disability (source: WHO), this is a significant concern.
The internet was supposed to be accessible when it was conceived. Vint Cerf originally created email as an assistive tool that would allow deaf people to receive messages. Cerf and his wife both have hearing deficiencies which led him to become an advocate for accessibility and partially design IP accordingly.
As the internet gained popularity, accessibility started becoming less of a priority. It was being developed because of the opportunities (mostly non-disabled) people saw, not for what it originally was created for. As the internet got more flashy the experience for people with disabilities just became more frustrating and complicated.
Will the metaverse be any different?
The metaverse is rapidly taking shape and many consider it to be a new opportunity in regards to accessibility.
But if the ‘old internet’ taught us anything, it is that accessibility can be easily overlooked when not properly prioritized. On top of that, the majority of developers are non-disabled people, so it isn’t something that they naturally focus or consult anybody on.
The danger of not making it a priority is that you will not only fail to accommodate a growing part of the population: the number of people living with disabilities is expected to triple from 36 million to 115 million by 2050 (WHO), you will eventually shut out anyone who plays in the metaverse.
As Michael Hingson, national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign and NYT bestseller said: “Anything that you do to make the internet more accessible to me — anything that you do to make anything more accessible to me — will probably make it more accessible to you, as well.”
So really, accessibility applies to anyone and will have a huge impact on the usability and lifespan of your product.
Now it’s simply a matter of getting the companies who are building the metaverse to care.
Stay tuned for our next blog posts where we’ll share examples why you should care about accessibility in the metaverse, possibilities to get there and how the audio metaverse can play a role in that.
