Immersive learning of cerebral visual impairment: understanding vision through dynamic immersive simulations

Many different brain-based impairments of vision can affect how someone experiences the world. Those conditions, called Cerebral Visual Impairments (CVI) are often difficult to explain and understand as each individual has their own unique experience of how they see and how their conditions affect them. However, people with CVI benefit substantially if those close to them understand their condition well enough to know which simple steps will make their world easier to navigate, interpret and understand. This paper summarises efforts to create immersive virtual reality visualisations which help those without CVI to better understand various CVI conditions. Two environments types are explored; classrooms and a climate change museum. A visual interface has been created which simulates various effects of CVI. Through this mechanism the user tailors their experience by selecting different impairments and their level of severity which then reacts dynamically to the environment chosen. Through experiential learning from a perspective of the world differing from their own, users gain exposure to CVI and potentially understand changes they can make to better support those affected. Evaluation and feedback demonstrates the simulation’s effectiveness as a research platform in its ability to help refine understanding of the dynamic nature of the impairments. The simulation is also effecting in establishing change in understanding, potentially leading to broader accessibility standards in schools, public spaces and beyond.