Designing Accessible Experiences for Heritage Visitors Through Virtual Reality
Alessandra Marasco, Barbara Balbi · Ereview of tourism research · 2019
Virtual reality offers significant opportunities for inclusive tourism, especially at heritage destinations where full accessibility is often limited by site characteristics or conservation issues. This study applies a user-centric methodology for the design of accessible heritage tourism experiences through virtual reality, with a focus on visitors with mobility impairments. It addresses the early-stage design research aimed to understand the needs and expected core elements of digital accessible experiences from visitors’ perspective. Through a multimethod explorative research, personas and scenarios are developed to inform the subsequent co-design of virtual reality solutions along the visitors’ journey. Methodological and practical implications are discussed.