Current and Potential Uses of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion

Current and Potential Uses of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion Current and Potential Uses of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion ELLYSSE DICK | JUNE 2021 AR/VR can make important contributions to equity and inclusion if it is designed with these goals in mind. [...] Drawing upon input from stakeholders in disability rights, workplace equity, and other key areas of concern for vulnerable and marginalized communities, this report reviews the key literature on the potential benefits and limitations of AR/VR in equity and inclusion efforts and discusses the ways in which this potential has been leveraged in specific applications of the technology for implicit bia. [...] HOW AR/VR CAN PROMOTE EQUITY AND INCLUSION AR/VR is still a relatively nascent technology, and new possibilities for its use in equity and inclusion efforts are continuously emerging as the underlying technology improves and a more diverse set of users experience it for the first time. [...] For example, some experiences manipulate a user’s field of vision, audio output, and surroundings to demonstrate what it is like to navigate life with a disability.2 Others have the user assume the identity of a person of a different race, gender, or other characteristic.3 Still others place a user in a 360-degree video recording to give a “ground truth” view of distant or otherwise hard-to- imagi. [...] For example, the game yielded statistically significant relationships between users’ perceptions of and empathy toward the student and the teacher, and their awareness of racial biases.24 Use: Improving Workplace Engagement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Among enterprise enthusiasts, one eagerly anticipated application of immersive empathy interventions is in the field of professional D.