Immersive technologies have the ability to take us to new worlds and experiences. But is this accessible for all, or can VR, AR and XR experiences, software and hardware exclude people through their design process? What frameworks and best practices could be built into the design? What are the implications for both the end user and the immersive business? Why is it crucial for immersive businesses to address these issues?
Speakers:
Maddalena Crosti -XR Access
Maddalena’s passion is helping creators realise their vision, particularly around XR. She specialises in running immersive and creative innovation programmes with the aim of building resilient ecosystems. Her work has taken her to the UK, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. Over her career, she has commissioned 45 prototypes and 12 completed productions of XR projects ranging from games, interactive entertainment and arts and culture content. Maddalena is co-leading the Business Cases workstream for XR Access, a consortium led by Cornell Tech and supported by Verizon which focuses on building the industry in an accessible way. She also sits in the Immerse UK International working group and on the board of the AE dance company.
Dr Muadh Al Kalbani – Research Fellow in Human Computer Interaction
Dr Maadh Al Kalbani is a Research Fellow in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) within the DMT Lab specialising in HCI, Extended Reality technologies (AR/VR/MR), usability analysis and user experience. He received a BSc degree with honours in Digital Media Technology and a PhD degree in Computer Science from Birmingham City University with his work in natural hand-based interaction in AR environments.
Jessie Taft – Membership and Research Coordinator – XR Access
Jessie Taft is based at Cornell Tech and is the Membership and Research Coordinator for the XR Access Initiative. Jessie manages financial and program operations for a number of Cornell Tech’s major research initiatives, and is your point of contact for XR Access membership, donation, and research network questions. Jessie holds a BA and MPS in Information Science from Cornell University.
The XR Access Initiative is a community that engages, connects, and influences the field of XR, in order to build and share knowledge, skills, tools, user experiences, and leading practices to make XR inclusive of all, regardless of abilities. Our mission is to modernize, innovate, and expand XR technologies, products, content and assistive technologies by promoting inclusive design in a diverse community that connects stakeholders, catalyzes shared and sustained action, and provides valuable, informative resources.