Aesthetic In-Access: Notes from a CripTech Metaverse Lab

Abstract

“Metaverse” technologies, such as spatial audio, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), present new possibilities for disabled artists. To explore how artists use metaverse technologies – as well as the frictions that inhibit access – the authors describe the events of “CripTech Metaverse Lab,” which invited a cohort of disabled artists for a three-day workshop featuring metaverse experiences and a speculative design lab. Observing how participants creatively navigated these encounters, we introduce “aesthetic in-access” as a shared praxis developed bydisabled users that transforms barriers to access into artistic expression. In doing so, we outline a metaverse future that centers disabled expression and joy.