Constructing the Harm Model and Designing Protection Mechanisms for People with Disability in Social VR

We are a group of VR accessibility researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Virginia Tech. We are conducting research to understand the harassment experience for people with disabilities in social VR. We are looking for people with disabilities to participate in the study!

• Be at least 18 years old;
• Have a disability, including but not limited to visual impairments, deaf and hard of hearing, motor disabilities, intellectual disabilities, autism, etc;
• Have used social VR applications.

Participants will complete an online survey to reflect on their harassment experiences in social VR. The survey will take 30-60 minutes to complete, and we offer $10 compensation after completing the survey. This study is fully remote.

Effective study recruitment drives meaningful change. By hearing directly from people with disabilities about their experiences in social VR, this research will help identify specific risks and challenges they face. The findings can guide future efforts to make virtual environments safer, more inclusive, and accessible—ensuring that the autism and broader disability communities are better protected in these emerging spaces.