Designing the journey for inclusivity and accessibility in virtual manufacturing environments: an exploration through empathy

With one in four EU adults having disabilities and only half employed full-time, there is a need for enhanced workforce inclusion and accessibility. Despite Industry 4.0’s technological advancements, gaps in adoption persist for individuals with disabilities, hindering potential engagement within manufacturing. Leveraging Virtual Reality (VR)’s immersive qualities, empathic design principles were applied to empathise with individuals living with cognitive impairment in the context of digital manufacturing assembly processes. Exploring empathy’s role in enhancing inclusivity and accessibility, a qualitative study was conducted with manufacturing professionals and individuals with cognitive conditions, bridging the gap between current and future employees with diverse cognitive abilities. The findings, which are visualised through a novel user journey map, showcase VR’s potential as a tool for inclusive design by determining interaction modes that augment workforce diversity in manufacturing.