News
Organizational Leadership and Diversity
Press Release
25-11-2025
The avatar in a wheelchair
A call for more diversity in the Metaverse
A study by the University of Stuttgart, the California State University at Fullerton, and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has found that there are benefits to representing one’s real-life disability through an avatar in virtual reality. The Metaverse is not just a technical platform, but also one for social interaction. Therefore, all users should be included in its development, including people with disabilities. The researchers appeal to companies to be more courageous in embracing diversity in virtual spaces as authentic self-representation allows people with disabilities to identify more strongly with their work.
Ksenia Keplinger
Phoenix Van Wagoner
Andria Smith
