Conclusions
Embrace Experimentation and Interdisciplinarity: The field of HI is still relatively new, encouraging a spirit of experimentation with form, technology, and thematic content. Collaborations between artists, technologists, social scientists, psychologists, and ethicists are vital for developing HI that is artistically compelling, technically sophisticated, and socially responsible.
Centre Accessibility: Make accessibility a priority from the earliest stages of HI design. Incorporate multimodal experiences, adaptive technologies, and diverse representation, in collaboration with marginalised communities.
Foster Critical Discourse: Encourage critical analysis of HI alongside enthusiasm for its potential. Artists, critics, scholars, and the public should engage in open dialogues about the social implications, ethical challenges, and artistic merits of these emerging forms.
Develop Ethical Best Practices: Create ethical guidelines and industry-wide codes of conduct to safeguard user privacy, ensure responsible psychological design, and mitigate potential harms. Establish independent review boards to provide ethical oversight for complex HI projects.
Seek Sustainable Models: Consider the environmental impact of HI, exploring renewable energy sources and responsible hardware disposal. Balance financial sustainability with artistic innovation by pursuing a mix of public funding, industry partnerships, and potentially explore alternative models like crowdfunding.
Multimodal Experiences:
Avoid Single-Sense Reliance: Don't design HI that is exclusively reliant on sight or sound. Incorporate haptic feedback, tactile elements, or alternative sensory channels to accommodate wider participation.
Adaptive Interfaces: Offer customisable interfaces that cater to different interaction preferences, physical abilities, or sensory processing sensitivities.
Addressing Physical Accessibility:
Navigation and Movement: Ensure HI is navigable by wheelchair users or those with limited mobility. Provide options for seated experiences or incorporate virtual movement for those unable to physically navigate the space.
Accommodation: Design spaces with sufficient room for assistive equipment, accessible restrooms, and clear signage for those with visual impairments. Provide quiet zones for those needing a break from sensory overload.
Accessible Representation:
Diverse Narratives and Characters: Go beyond stereotypical portrayals in narratives and characters that employ HI. Actively design experiences that reflect the diversity of human experiences and identities.
Co-creation with Marginalised Communities: Partner with individuals from marginalised groups as consultants, creators, and participants throughout the design and testing process of HI (Costanza-Chock, 2020).
Technology Solutions
Closed Captioning and Audio Description: Ensure videos and audio components within HI have closed captioning and descriptive audio tracks for those with visual or hearing impairments.
Haptic Technologies: Utilise advanced haptic systems to provide non-visual cues, spatial feedback, and tactile sensations to enhance accessibility and immersion.
Adaptive Hardware: Research emerging adaptive VR controllers, motion-tracking systems, and assistive technologies tailored for users with disabilities.
Community Engagement and Ongoing Evaluation
Partnerships with Disability Advocacy Groups: Collaborate with organisations to gather feedback, test experiences, and identify areas for improvement.
Iterative Design: Emphasise the importance of ongoing user testing with diverse participants to continuously refine HI for greater accessibility.
Knowledge Sharing: Encourage HI creators to share best practices and case studies on design to foster a learning community.
Education Settings: Examine projects using HI in special education classrooms to promote learning, sensory engagement, and social interaction for students with various cognitive and developmental disabilities.