Virtual reality for putting people with disabilities in control

Virtual reality technology offers a number of useful possibilities for people with disabilities. An obvious application is for those who face mobility problems to navigate around a virtual environment with minimal physical movement, allowing someone with limited motor ability the opportunity to explore virtual spaces with the same freedom of someone without physical impairments. This has implications for educational and entertainment systems, but also opens up possibilities for therapeutic systems, where the effects of a small amount of movement might be exaggerated in a virtual representation. We have been investigating some less obvious applications of virtual reality for people with disabilities. The development of graphical interfaces with metaphorical representations which the user manipulates suggests that a three-dimensional, realistic representation may be helpful as a interface in some situations. Work on improving complex computer-based communication systems for non-speaking people has involved investigating new ways to present conversational material to the user. A system has been developed which presents the material in terms of realistic scenes through which the user can navigate. In another project a virtual reality scene has been used to attempt to capture the interest and then channel the attention of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In both cases the approach seems to offer advantages. One feature of both projects is giving the disabled user more and better control - over the interface, and also in their interactions with others.