Welcome to Verse

Welcome to VERSE (Virtual Environments for Realistic Simulated Experiences). This project is located around the premise that virtual environments can be a safe space to rehearse and practice skills; especially for people who might find exploring the real-world activities anxiety-inducing and worrying. After all, not all places are attuned to people with neurodiversity.

With this in mind, we have collaborated with our local autistic community to co-design apps that might help enable, and support, access to a range of environments. By working with local communities, we also aim to educate and help to make the ‘real-world’ more inclusive and understanding.

This first virtual reality experience (visiting a restaurant; Piesanos), is interactive (you have to decide how to proceed through the experience) and most importantly co-created and co-designed with the autistic community. We see no value in designing these experiences without this vital input that includes autistic voice in defining the challenges the community can face, in addition to employing and featuring autistic input through-out a design and development. Therefore, we are very grateful to Jacob Warshofsky for his input and expert insights that led to this VR experience. Further research will follow, but for now enjoy this free VR experience.

You can use VERSE on a web-browser, or an android phone coupled with a google cardboard VR headset. If you require one of these headsets please contact us and we will mail one out to you (for free too). You can then use this with your android phone and enjoy an immersive experience.