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Common Barriers

Motor Barriers

These barriers relate to movement & motion.

1.1 Controller Holding

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to grasp a controller and then hold it:

(1.1.1) - For an extended period
(1.1.2) - In a consistent location
(1.1.3) - In a consistent orientation

Examples:

• Holding the controller up so users hands are visible within the field of view of the headset
• Holding up and keeping them still in a specific position like holding a virtual "bow"
• Not dropping the controllers when users become fatigued or are surprised
• This barrier often co-occurs with reach barriers. Such as dropping a controller and being unable to reach the floor to pick it up

Potential solutions:

• Alternative switch controls (see switch controls deep dive)

1.2 Controller Orientation

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to:

(1.2.1) - Orientate a motion controller accurately and repeatedly
(1.2.1) - Point the controller at a target

Examples:

• Orientate a controller so a virtual object remains the correct way up.

Potential solutions

• Alternative switch controls (see switch controls deep dive)

1.3 Input Press & Hold

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to:

(1.3.1) - hold a button down for an extended period
(1.3.1) - Combined holding and moving

Potential solutions:

• Input remapping
• Switch based controls (see switch controls deep dive)

1.4: Multiple input

This barrier occurs when an experience requires:

(1.4.1) - Concurrent use of multiple inputs on one or more controllers
(1.4.2) - Concurrent use of multiple controllers (Doing two separate tasks with two controllers)
(1.4.3) - Coordinated use of multiple controllers

Examples:

• Concurrent use of multiple inputs is when a user is pressing multiple buttons on one or more controllers at the same time
• Concurrent use of multiple controllers would be when two separate tasks are being performed at the same time on separate controllers. Such as holding and object and teleporting
• Coordinated use of multiple controllers is when two controllers are being used together to before one activity. Such as climbing a ladder, or holding a virtual "bow"

Potential solutions:

• Simplifying interaction methods
• Switch based controls ([see switch controls deep dive)
• Ensuring all interactions can be performed with a single input

1.5: Reach & Balance

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to:

(1.5.1) - Reach objects around them
(1.5.2) - Reach the floor
(1.5.3) - Maintain balance

Potential solutions:

• Snapping objects to player
• Switch based controls (see switch controls deep dive)
• Feature to reset object location via a button on the controller

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Cognitive Barriers

These barriers relate to cognition.

2.1 Comprehension

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to understand unexplained aspects of the environment in order too:

(2.1.1) - Determine what is possible
(2.1.2) - Determine what is interactive
(2.1.3) - Determine the next action

2.2 Expectation

This barrier occurs when an experience breaks a users expectation such as:

(2.2.1) - Expected sounds, shadows
(2.2.2) - Expected bodily representation like hands / legs etc
(2.2.3) - Unexpected placing the user into a simulated unsafe situation

2.3 Way Finding

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to route across an environment to reach a specific point

(2.3.1) - Navigating from one place to another
(2.3.2) - Positioning in a specific location

2.4 Timing

This barrier occurs when an experience introduces a time limit relating to:

(2.4.1) - Interactive elements
(2.4.2) - Narrative events
(2.4.3) - Gameplay decisions

2.5 Focus & Memory

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to remember information and direct their attention.

(2.5.1) - Remembering controls, next action & location of items
(2.5.2) - Maintaining & targeting focus
(2.5.3) - Recovering from distraction

2.6 Sensory

This barrier occurs when a mismatch occurs between the users sensory needs and aspects of the experience such as:

(2.6.1) - Physical elements, such as headsets & controllers
(2.6.2) - Content elements, such as sound, brightness, texture & movement

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Low vision Barriers

These barriers relate to reduced vision

3.1 Colour Contrast

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to distinguish objects from the background.

(3.1.1) - Distinguish players presence from background
(3.1.2) - Distinguish interactive objects
(3.1.2) - Distinguish dynamic objects as they move between light and dark backgrounds
(3.1.3) - Distinguish environment features

Examples

• Distinguishing the users white coloured hands when the user is facing a light colours environment
• Distinguishing interactive objects, like toys, mugs, books etc from the shelving and floor
• Distinguishing key environment objects like doorways

3.2 Determining Direction

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to distinguish the direction they are facing within an environment by visual indicators alone in the following situations:

(3.2.1) - Distinguish direction when static
(3.2.2) - Distinguish direction when moving
(3.2.2) - Distinguish direction within symmetrical environments

Examples

• Distinguishing direction when stood still. Such as in a lobby area with 4 matching walls
• Distinguishing direction after being moved within the environment, such as a moving platform
• Distinguishing direction when an environment has mirrored repetition in multiple directions, such a hallway or a garden with matching flower beds on both sides

3.3 Signage

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to identify signage to assist with way-finding:

(3.3.1) - Signage from multiple directions
(3.3.2) - Signage which is too small to read
(3.3.2) - Signage which is placed too far away

Examples

• Signage which can only be seen walking in one direction and cannot be seen by looking back where the user came from
• Signage with small text which cannot be accessed in other ways
• Signage which is mounted in a position where the user cannot get close enough to read it such as on a wall on the far side of a pit

3.4 Text

This barrier occurs when an experience requires the user to read textual information within the the environment:

(3.4.1) - Text is too small
(3.4.2) - Text is moving
(3.4.2) - Text is display within a time limit

Examples

• The cover text of an interactive book object was to small to be read.
• Text on a moving object could not be read while it was moving
• Text which was displayed for a short period could not be read before it disappeared, such as subtitles

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Glossary & Terms

This section provides more information on terms used above:

Extended Period

This varies depending on the user, typically anything over 1 minute

Consistent Location

A static position relative to the user which doesn't vary by more than a few inches

Consistent Orientation

A static position relative to the user which doesn't rotate in any direction (pitch, roll, yaw) by more than 10 degrees.

Orientate

User controlled rotation of a controller in any direction

Accurately

Being close to the intended position, target or location

Repeatedly

Returning to the same position or orientation multiple times without significant variation

Point

To align one object (such as a controller) to another object such that a line projected through the centre of the first objects intersects with the second object

Hold a button down

To depress a button and maintain it in a depressed state

Moving

progressing through a space in the real, virtual or simulated environment. Virtual environment movement may be by passing through the space or by teleporting between points.

Concurrent

Progressing two unrelated actions at the same time but not necessarily performing two actions simultaneously

Coordinated

Using one more object to achieve a single outcome

Reach

The ability to touch a virtual or real object from the users current position.

Maintain

To keep in a steady controlled state

Possible

An action which may be performed within an environment

Interactive

An object which is not static and can be manipulated with by the user

Next Action

The action to perform when the current action is completed and the user is ready to proceed.

Sounds

Diegetic Audio within an environment

Shadows

An area of modified lighting due to the presence of an object between lighting source and a surface

Bodily Representation

The way in which parts of the users body or mobility aids are represented within an immersive environment

Simulated Unsafe Situation

Placing the user into a virtual situation which would be unsafe in the real world

Navigating

Moving around an environment in the broadest scale (eg. level to level, room to room)

Positioning

Moving to a specific point within an environment with a tolerance of between 3 and 12 inches

Narrative

A component of a story arc

Decisions

Evaluating options in order to come to a conclusion on what the next action should be.

Controls

Knowledge of the functionality of each input on a controller, or each interactive object within an immersive environment.

Targeting

To maintain pointing at at moving object

Distraction

An event, sensory input, thought or action which breaks the users focus away from thier chosen focus target

Brightness

The quantity of energy emitted by a light source (measure in lumens)

Texture

The sensation caused by the interaction between skin and any part of another object

Further Reading

Please see the resources & downloads page