BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:Linklings LLC BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Asia/Tokyo X-LIC-LOCATION:Asia/Tokyo BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0900 TZOFFSETTO:+0900 TZNAME:JST DTSTART:18871231T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20250110T023302Z LOCATION:G502\, G Block\, Level 5 DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Tokyo:20241204T135000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Tokyo:20241204T141000 UID:siggraphasia_SIGGRAPH Asia 2024_sess293_edu_108@linklings.com SUMMARY:Co-Creating Virtual Experiences: Fostering Inclusivity and Empathy Building DESCRIPTION:Educator's Forum\n\nJinsil Hwaryoung Seo, Brittany Garcia-Pi, Caleb Kicklighter, and Paul Taele (Texas A&M University)\n\nVirtual realit y (VR) can provide transformative educational experiences for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). To leverage this aspect in higher edu cation, a team of faculty members and a transitional university program co llaborated to integrate VR into their support systems. The initial VR expe rience sessions led to the development of specialized VR applications desi gned to support individuals with ID and raise awareness about their needs in the university setting. We detail a co-design process resulting in two VR projects: one for enhancing job interview skills and another for buildi ng empathy by simulating challenges faced by individuals with ID. This pro gram highlights the effectiveness of inclusive participatory design in VR development, demonstrating how cross-ability collaboration leads to more a ccessible and relevant technological solutions. Our findings underscore VR 's potential for skill development and fostering empathy, while contributi ng to the broader discourse on inclusive technology development and promot ing a more inclusive society.\n\nRegistration Category: Enhanced Access, F ull Access, Full Access Supporter\n\nLanguage Format: English Language\n\n Session Chair: Haoran Xie (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technol ogy (JAIST)) URL:https://asia.siggraph.org/2024/program/?id=edu_108&sess=sess293 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR