Inclusive design for climbing and virtual reality events: breaking barriers and building opportunities for youth with vision impairment

Vision impairment (VI) affects millions of young people globally, yet their participation in recreational activities remains limited by societal barriers and assumptions. Despite growing emphasis on inclusive design, young people with VI face significant barriers to activities often perceived as ocularcentric. This qualitative study explores experiences of youth with VI in climbing and virtual reality (VR) events. Twenty-six participants (16–28 years) provided data through open-ended questionnaires and three participant-led working group discussions. Data were analysed through inductive thematic analysis using NVivo to identify perceived barriers and enablers. Barriers included ableist assumptions about capability, belief that people with VI cannot participate in ocularcentric activities, inaccessibility issues, safety concerns, and lack of awareness. Enablers included assistive technology, sports event and VR accessibility, and collaborative partnerships between sighted and VI individuals. The participatory research nature was recognised as crucial by young participants as an example for co-designing events tailored to their needs.