Co-design and inclusivity in XR: insights and guidelines from a project with people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Extended reality (XR) technologies offer promising opportunities to enhance autonomy, cognitive skills, and social participation for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, their adoption is often hindered by limited accessibility and lack of inclusive design strategies. This paper presents the outcomes of Incluverso 5G, a research project that developed and validated immersive experiences through an inclusive design approach involving engineers, therapists, professionals, and people with ID. Four immersive experiences were implemented: (1) behavioral therapy for phobia treatment; (2) immersive telepresence for independent living; (3) cognitive training for employment; and (4) cooking classes for employment. This research proposes a set of comprehensive design guidelines addressing methodology, design of immersive environments, interaction, and evaluation, derived from lessons learned during real-world deployments. Findings show that active user involvement substantially improves usability and supports quality of life (QoL), offering actionable insights for developing scalable and accessible XR interventions in therapeutic, educational, and autonomy-related contexts.