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New guidance launched in December 2025 will support accessible design in games and immersive experiences for blind and partially sighted users.
Abertay University has collaborated with Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on a groundbreaking project to make extended reality (XR) experiences - which include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) - more accessible for blind and partially sighted people.
The project has resulted in the development of two practical toolkits offering best-practice guidance: one specifically for the games industry and another for professionals in the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums).
The toolkits signal how to embed accessible design principles into the development of XR experiences across virtual, augmented, and mixed reality platforms.
Given the innovative potential of these technologies, it is essential that they are designed accessibly from the outset, as failing to do so could exclude blind and partially sighted people.
Led by Dr Lynsay Shepherd from the Department of Cybersecurity and Computing, the interdisciplinary project team also included Dr Hailey Austin, Dr William Kavanagh, and Dr Naman Merchant.
Dr Shepherd said:
These toolkits are about making sure no one is left behind in the growing world of immersive technology. XR can offer incredible experiences, but only if it’s designed to be accessible from the start.
This is part of our civic mission at Abertay - using our expertise in technology and design to support a fairer, more inclusive digital future. The project is the latest example of our commitment to digital inclusion and civic engagement, drawing on the University’s internationally recognised strengths in games, computing and applied research. We embed accessible design throughout these courses, ensuring students are well-prepared with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers.
To inform the guidance, the team carried out interviews with professionals from both sectors, exploring the challenges and barriers they face in designing accessible immersive experiences. Insights from these consultations were then applied to a VR prototype, Rhizoma VR, which was adapted with new accessibility features.
The prototype was tested by individuals with different levels of sight loss, allowing the team to assess the impact of the changes and refine their recommendations. Insights from this process informed the final toolkits, which are designed to support developers and curators in creating accessible XR content- whether for entertainment, education or exhibition.
Sonali Rai, Senior Manager for Media, Culture and Immersive Technologies at RNIB, said:
Our goal was to make accessibility part of the creative process, not an afterthought. These toolkits show that universal design in gaming and cultural XR experiences is achievable and inspiring. If you are a developer, designer or work for a cultural institution, these downloadable resources can really be the starting point for collaboration on making these emerging experiences more accessible.
With XR technologies increasingly moving towards mass adoption across industries, the toolkits can play a key role in raising awareness and encouraging more accessible design practices, ensuring immersive experiences can be enjoyed by all.
The toolkits are available on the RNIB website here.
