Enhancing Social VR Accessibility for Users With ADHD and Autism

Project Title

Enhancing Social VR Accessibility for Users With ADHD and Autism

Project Description

Faculty mentor: Shiri Azenkot

Project Description: 

Social virtual reality allows people to connect with others without physical barriers, but since it seeks to emulate real-world social interactions, it's unclear how disabled people with social barriers experience social VR. People with ADHD and/or autism often experience social challenges, such as difficulty making eye contact and sensory overload. My project seeks to understand their social and sensory experiences in social VR through interviews and live experiences. We will then design VR tools based on our findings to make social VR more inclusive and customizable. Understanding social VR's unique affordances and challenges can help improve the experience and accessibility of the technology for all.
 

Why is your research important?

My research uplifts the voices of neurodivergent people who are either dismissed or misunderstood. Existing literature in my field uses VR as a tool to alleviate autism and ADHD symptoms, reflecting a societal desire to stifle deviations from the norm. My project engages with this population and tries to make an existing technology more accessible for them.   
 

In what ways have you showcased your research thus far?

My team and I are writing a paper that will be submitted to the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. I delivered a talk at the Oberlin College Undergraduate Research Symposium in April. My team and I presented a poster at the XR Access Symposium in June.
 

How did you get involved in research? What drove you to seek out research experiences in college?

I enjoy research because I want to be part of something greater than myself and make a meaningful difference in the world. I also think it's fun to explore different disciplines and questions. My magnet high school gave me a lot of opportunities to engage in research on- and off-campus, and I took them. I continued research in college, and I'm glad that I have the autonomy and resources to propose my own work, network with professionals, and attend conferences.

 

What is your favorite aspect of the research process?

Once we've conducted semi-structured interviews with our participants, we need to transcribe and code them, so we can categorize our findings into themes. I love analyzing this data and uncovering patterns within it. Qualitative data is less straightforward to analyze than quantitative data because you need to consider these people in their totality–what they're truly saying, what they're leaving left unsaid, how their other responses fit into this response, etc.

 

How has working with your mentor impacted the development of your research project? How has it impacted you as a researcher?

My mentor is meticulous and expects a lot from her students, which encourages me to put forth my best work and consider every implication and possibility. She's made me a more careful researcher and writer.
 

How has the research you’ve conducted contributed to your professional or academic development?  

My research has developed my organizational, creative, and analytical skills, which are transferable to any research project. My connections and experiences have opened the door to other opportunities and collaborators. The emphasis on service, respect, and accessibility has made me approach research and technology more responsibly.
 

What advice would you give to a younger student wanting to get involved in research in your field?

If you want to work in human-computer interaction and accessibility research, you need to truly care about the people you're serving. If you want to work in computer science research more generally, you should still care about the social and ethical implications of your work–technology is a big responsibility, and the humanities are extremely important. Also, make sure that you have a good, fulfilling relationship with your mentor–be wary of anyone exploiting you, damaging your self-esteem, and generally not having your best interests in mind.