Building Accessibility Into Our Mixed Reality Products

Takeaways

• We recently partnered with people with disabilities and disability advocates to integrate accessibility into our mixed reality technology.

We believe the best products are built by working with the communities we serve. We recently invited people with disabilities and accessibility advocates to co-design solutions with our product teams to enhance the accessibility of mixed reality technology.

These co-design efforts help us deliver universal value for our users by:

• Prioritizing real-life user experiences: Co-designing products with diverse communities helps us ground our design in real-life user experiences, test design assumptions and prioritize solving for user needs.
• Centering the needs of historically underserved communities to benefit everyone: When we co-design with historically underserved communities, we can create products that drive benefits for all. This is called the “curb cutting” effect. Curb cuts on sidewalks were originally designed for wheelchair users, but ultimately also benefit parents with strollers, cyclists and pedestrians. Similarly, designing mixed reality technology with people with disabilities and accessibility advocates can help us build solutions that benefit everyone.
• Building community: Co-design requires building deep relationships based on trust and mutual respect. When we co-design products with diverse communities, we not only create products that more people can use, but also develop trust with users that are often left behind by technology.

This co-design not only drives real-world impact, it also unlocks new possibilities, creating better product experiences for everyone. We recognize that we still have a long way to go to make mixed reality more inclusive, establishing and iterating on new industry standards. Co-designing solutions earlier in the development process will enable everyone to thrive in the metaverse. We are dedicated to collaborating with communities that have historically been overlooked by technology, as we believe that, together, we can achieve greater things.