The paper explores the potential for inclusive XR in the workplace
Washington, D.C.- On October 5th, 2021, the XR Association (XRA), the trade association representing the growing ecosystem of the XR technology companies powering virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, announced the release of a joint white paper in conjunction with the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), an initiative funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor. The paper is the result of a five-month collaboration with PEAT and highlights the potential of XR Technology to support inclusive and accessible work environments across industries.
“More and more XR applications are being deployed to support workforce training and collaboration in manufacturing, health care, education, public safety, and beyond,” said Liz Hyman, CEO, the XR Association. “Accessibility, therefore, is a vital foundational consideration in the development of immersive technologies. The XR Association, on behalf of its members across the XR ecosystem, is proud to collaborate with PEAT on this important resource aimed at educating and empowering employers to make XR tools work for everyone.”
This resource is designed to help organizations navigate the adoption of immersive technology as part of their digital transformation. The paper is broken down into five sections:
- What Is Inclusive XR in the Workplace?
- Start Implementing Inclusive XR
- Spotlight on Inclusive Job Training
- Spotlight on Inclusive XR in Manufacturing
- Spotlight on Inclusive XR in Healthcare
Immersive technologies are increasingly playing an integral role in the future of work across industries. As the industry continues its efforts towards ensuring XR technology is accessible to all, this white paper lays out promising use cases for how XR technology will help create a more inclusive work environment for all workers. View the executive summary here.
The XR Association continues to be a leading industry voice on accessibility. This white paper is the latest resource on accessibility from the association. In October 2020 the association released the third chapter of its Developers Guide providing a set of industry-backed guidance for developing accessible XR applications and platforms for all users, not just those with disabilities.
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology’s (PEAT) mission is to foster collaborations that make emerging technologies accessible. To support workplaces in using inclusive technologies that engage the skills of employees with disabilities. To build a future that works.
PEAT is funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor and supported by Wheelhouse Group. PEAT material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
ABOUT THE XR ASSOCIATION
The XR Association promotes the dynamic global growth of the XR industry, which includes virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed-reality, and future immersive technology. XRA is leading the way for the responsible development and adoption of XR by convening stakeholders, developing best practices and research, and advocating on behalf of our members and the greater XR industry.
The XR Association represents the broad ecosystem of the XR industry including headset manufacturers, technology platforms, component and peripheral companies, internet infrastructure companies, enterprise solution providers, and corporate end-users. The founders of XRA are Google, HTC Vive, Microsoft, Oculus from Facebook, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. To learn more about XRA membership, visit xra.org/joinus.
Contact:
Bradford Williamson
bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com
(202) 870.3234
Today, Liz Hyman, XRA CEO, discussed the newly-released white paper on a panel at the M-Enabling Summit titled, “Workplace of the Future: New Accessibility Imperatives, Gaps and Opportunities Offered by New Technologies.” Hyman was joined by Bill Curtis Davidson, Co-director of the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), Daniella Decker, Founder of Accessibo and Consultant at APCO Worldwide, and Santina Croniser, Senior Accessibility Engineer at VMware.
