The avatar in a wheelchair

Stuttgart – The step into virtual reality usually begins with the creation of one's own avatar. Should it look like a human being, or rather like a fantasy character from one's favorite anime? There are no limits to the design – or are there? 

Around one tenth of the population in Germany lives with a disability; some visible, some invisible.

However, avatars with disabilities are virtually non-existent in the Metaverse. For a long time, developers and users believed that disabilities should not play a role here. Visible or invisible disabilities should remain hidden in order to avoid discrimination and protect people with disabilities. No discrimination! But is that really the case? 

“My disability is part of who I am” 

A group of scientists from the University of Stuttgart, the California State University at Fullerton, and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) conducted a study to investigate how people with disabilities feel when they appear as such in virtual reality, just as they do in real life. Most of the test subjects gave predominantly positive feedback when their own avatar depicted them the way they see themselves. Many expressed the sentiment: “My disability is part of who I am.” 

The research was now published in the Journal of Strategic Information Systems. The study took several years to complete, as it was difficult to find participants with disabilities. Altogether, 81 people with disabilities participated in the study. Each participant was given a specially created avatar by the researchers at the University of Stuttgart. The avatars used a walking stick, rode in an (electric) wheelchair, or wore a sunflower on their clothing as a symbol of an invisible disability. With this digital twin, the participants spent several hours a day for two weeks on the VRChat platform. They visited a wide variety of virtual rooms, talked to others, interacted, watched a movie together, and much more. At the end of the two-week period, the participants reported on their experiences in interviews with the scientists. 

Ksenia Keplinger heads the Organizational Leadership and Diversity research group at MPI-IS and is the corresponding author of the publication: "We asked ourselves what would happen if avatars reflected a person’s real-life disability. Our results show that participants felt predominantly comfortable with their inclusive avatars when interacting in this virtual world. The more a participant identified with their disability, i.e., the more the disability was an essential characteristic of the person, the more positive the feedback was. Many non-disabled avatars reacted to the inclusive avatar in a wheelchair or with a walking stick with interest and openness, sought conversation, and experienced the encounter as a learning moment that promoted understanding and empathy. Although using an inclusive avatar can be challenging, the positive effects outweigh the challenges, as authentic representation creates visibility and strengthens the dialogue about inclusion in the digital space." 

However, some participants did not want their avatar to confront them with their disability or remind them of real-life challenges. For them, the virtual space was an opportunity to escape their disability. According to the study's findings, most of the participants said that they preferred to be represented in virtual reality as they are in real life. 

A call for more courage in embracing diversity in the Metaverse

The researchers are particularly focused on employers. Companies are increasingly offering hybrid online workspaces and even fully virtual offices. The study concludes that the Metaverse opens up the opportunity to expand their workforce by tapping into the world's largest underemployed group: people with disabilities. Those already employed often feel more at ease when they can express their disability as part of their identity in virtual workplaces as well. 

The study could therefore encourage company executives to rethink their approach. After all, the Metaverse is a virtual reality in which more and more people are pursuing their careers. According to the study, the Metaverse should not be seen merely as a technical platform, but rather as an emotion-driven social environment in which people strive for authentic self-expression.

"We hope that the results of the study will provide the impetus to actively involve people with disabilities in the development and design of virtual reality technology, and to work together to break down structures of discrimination in virtual space. A disability should not be something that needs to be hidden, but something that can be lived openly in virtual space as well. People with disabilities belong in both the real and digital world," says Katrin Angerbauer, who is a doctoral student at the Visualization Institute of the University of Stuttgart (VISUS) and lead author of the study. Angerbauer herself uses a walker in both the real and virtual world. "We call for more courage when it comes to diversity in the Metaverse. This will allow the full potential of a highly qualified group within the workforce to be recognized and supported."

Will virtual offices where people work with inclusive avatars and participate in meetings in wheelchairs or with sunflowers pinned to their lapels soon become the norm? Ksenia Keplinger, Katrin Angerbauer, Phoenix Van Wagoner, and their co-authors hope so. A first step toward greater inclusion has already been taken. 

Reference:
Angerbauer, K., Van Wagoner, H. P., Keplinger, K., Halach, T., Vogelsang, J., Hube, N., Smith, A., & Sedlmair, M. (2025). Inclusive avatars in the Metaverse: Learning from the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Journal of Strategic Information Systems. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2025.101935