Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse

Reyhan Duygu; Enis Karaarslan

doi:10.31127/tuje.1752298

Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse

Abstract

An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide (roughly 16% of the global population) are affected by various forms of disability. As highlighted by the World Health Organization, many face mobility-related challenges that significantly restrict their ability to participate fully in social and communal life. These restrictions hinder communication and reduce opportunities for linguistic and social enrichment. This study addresses these challenges by proposing Fairverse, an accessible metaverse designed to enhance socialization and inclusivity for people with physical disabilities. Using virtual reality (VR), blockchain and game technologies, Fairverse initially operates as a VR environment but also supports web-based access to ensure broader usability without specialized hardware. As a proof of concept, a customizable virtual room was developed that integrates Ready Player Me avatars and barrier-free avatars that can be controlled by voice commands. To ensure sustainable governance, a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) is proposed underpinned by a token economy, facilitating sponsorships and donations to incentivize content creators and virtual-world developers. By fostering an inclusive digital ecosystem, Fairverse aims to remove accessibility barriers in the virtual world, empowering users with disabilities to participate fully in the metaverse.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

T3 Foundation

Ethical Statement

During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used Deepseek in order to enhance the quality of English. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Thanks

T3 Foundation

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Information Systems User Experience Design and Development, Information Systems For Sustainable Development and The Public Good, Information Systems (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Reyhan Duygu
0000-0002-4116-4904
Türkiye

Enis Karaarslan ^*
0000-0002-3595-8783
Türkiye

Publication Date

October 8, 2025

Submission Date

July 27, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 3, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 9 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1752298

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA68SB78TX

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Duygu, R., & Karaarslan, E. (2025). Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse. Turkish Journal of Engineering, 9(4), 811-822. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1752298

AMA

1.Duygu R, Karaarslan E. Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse. TUJE. 2025;9(4):811-822. doi:10.31127/tuje.1752298

Chicago

Duygu, Reyhan, and Enis Karaarslan. 2025. “Towards a Barrier-Free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse”. Turkish Journal of Engineering 9 (4): 811-22. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1752298.

EndNote

Duygu R, Karaarslan E (October 1, 2025) Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse. Turkish Journal of Engineering 9 4 811–822.

IEEE

[1]R. Duygu and E. Karaarslan, “Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse”, TUJE, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 811–822, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.31127/tuje.1752298.

ISNAD

Duygu, Reyhan - Karaarslan, Enis. “Towards a Barrier-Free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse”. Turkish Journal of Engineering 9/4 (October 1, 2025): 811-822. https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1752298.

JAMA

1.Duygu R, Karaarslan E. Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse. TUJE. 2025;9:811–822.

MLA

Duygu, Reyhan, and Enis Karaarslan. “Towards a Barrier-Free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse”. Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 9, no. 4, Oct. 2025, pp. 811-22, doi:10.31127/tuje.1752298.

Vancouver

1.Reyhan Duygu, Enis Karaarslan. Towards a Barrier-free Virtual World and Metaverse: Fairverse. TUJE. 2025 Oct. 1;9(4):811-22. doi:10.31127/tuje.1752298

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