{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T22:17:17Z","timestamp":1782512237747,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,1]],"date-time":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1709251200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MTI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The following article investigates the Metaverse and its potential to bolster digital accessibility for persons with disabilities. Through qualitative analysis, we examine responses from eleven experts in digital accessibility, Metaverse development, disability advocacy, and policy formulation. This exploration uncovers key insights into the Metaverse\u2019s current state, its inherent principles, and the challenges and opportunities it presents in terms of accessibility. The findings reveal a mixed state of inclusivity within the Metaverse, highlighting significant advancements along with notable gaps, especially in integrating assistive technologies and ensuring interoperability across different virtual environments. This study emphasizes the Metaverse\u2019s potential to revolutionize experiences for individuals with disabilities, provided that accessibility is embedded in its foundational design. Ethical and legal considerations, such as privacy, non-discrimination, and evolving legal frameworks, are identified as critical factors that shape an inclusive Metaverse. We propose a comprehensive framework that emphasizes technological adaptation and innovation, user-centric design, universal access, social and economic considerations, and global standards. This framework aims to guide future research and policy interventions to foster an inclusive digital environment in the Metaverse. This paper contributes to the emerging discourse on the Metaverse and digital accessibility, offering a nuanced understanding of its complexities and a roadmap for future exploration and development. This underscores the necessity of a multi-faceted approach that incorporates technological innovation, user-centered design, ethical considerations, legal compliance, and continuous research to create an inclusive and accessible Metaverse.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mti8030021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,1]],"date-time":"2024-03-01T11:19:24Z","timestamp":1709291964000},"page":"21","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":66,"title":["Accessible Metaverse: A Theoretical Framework for Accessibility and Inclusion in the Metaverse"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1290-2098","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Achraf","family":"Othman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Mada Qatar Assistive Technology Center, Doha P.O. Box 24230, Qatar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5052-9285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Khansa","family":"Chemnad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mada Qatar Assistive Technology Center, Doha P.O. Box 24230, Qatar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9989-6681","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aboul Ella","family":"Hassanien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Computers and AI, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1449-7751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed","family":"Tlili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Smart Learning Institute, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christina Yan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Metaverse Institute, 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1474-2692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dena","family":"Al-Thani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8452-5992","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fahriye","family":"Alt\u0131nay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social Research and Development Center, Near East University, Nicosia 99138, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9908-0252","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hajer","family":"Chalghoumi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kids Brain Health Network, 8900 Nelson Way, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7328-4935","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hend","family":"S. Al-Khalifa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Technology Department, King Saud University, P.O. Box 145111, Riyadh 4545, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1807-3315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maisa","family":"Obeid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed","family":"Jemni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, Tunis 1003, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7441-604X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tawfik","family":"Al-Hadhrami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science Department, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6786-6787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zehra","family":"Alt\u0131nay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social Research and Development Center, Near East University, Nicosia 99138, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"486","DOI":"10.3390\/encyclopedia2010031","article-title":"Metaverse","volume":"2","author":"Mystakidis","year":"2022","journal-title":"Encyclopedia"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang, L., Gao, B., and Gao, M. 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