Preserving Resources While Pausing Active Programming

October 21, 2025

After six transformative years advancing accessibility in virtual and augmented reality, XR Access is entering a period of hibernation. Due to shifts in the XR funding landscape and broader changes in the research environment, we will be pausing our active programming—including the XR Access Symposium and regular community events—at the end of 2025. 

What This Means

Resources Preservation

First and foremost, our existing resources will remain available as valuable tools for those practicing XR accessibility, including:

  • Our Resources page, with a variety of guidelines, reports, and more
  • Our GitHub with tools for designers and developers
  • Our YouTube with hundreds of hours of Symposium videos, community discussions, and seminars

We will be updating and reformatting these resources over the coming weeks to improve their usability and longevity.

Slack Migration

As we cannot guarantee moderation of the XR Access Slack, we will be converting it to read-only at the end of the year. However, we encourage everyone who wants to continue to discuss XR accessibility to migrate to the Emerging Technology Accessibility Discord, a community-led forum for the communication of how XR and other emerging technologies are affecting accessibility. This Discord is not officially associated with XR Access.

Screenshot of the Emerging Technology Accessibility Discord

Events

We will still be having the “Did You Hear That Wink?” seminar on November 12th with Brandon Biggs. The remaining Round Tables for the year have been cancelled; however, we encourage everyone to join us for XR Access: A Retrospective on Friday, December 12th at 1pm PT/4pm ET to look back at the past six years and talk about how XR Access made a difference in your lives, careers, and how you think about immersive technology.

XR Access Retrospective: Six Years of Progress

Personnel and Communications

Dylan Fox, our Director of Operations, will be leaving the organization at the end of 2025. However, our Executive Director Shiri Azenkot will continue her work with the Enhancing Ability Lab at Cornell Tech. 

Beginning in January, the info@xraccess.org email will no longer be actively monitored. If you wish to get in touch with Shiri, please email shiri.azenkot@cornell.edu; and for Dylan, email dylan@drfoxdesign.com or reach out via his LinkedIn. To stay informed about any future developments, sign up for our newsletter. 

A Legacy of Progress

Since 2019, XR Access has been at the forefront of making extended reality technologies inclusive for people with disabilities. Together with our community, we’ve:

  • Convened thousands of researchers, developers, and advocates through our seven symposia
  • Presented at conferences and guest lectures on the how and why of XR accessibility
  • Published groundbreaking research pushing the envelope of blind and low-vision access to XR
  • Created practical resources that have shaped more inclusive XR development
  • Contributed to standards development in order to keep organizations accountable
  • Built a global network of practitioners committed to accessible immersive technology
XR Access Founders Larry Goldberg and Shiri Azenkot at the 2019 Symposium Bill Curtis-Davidson walks with a low-vision user trying out the Magic Leap at the 2019 Symposium Closeup of XR Access lanyards A busy demo floor at the XR Access Symposium, with many people trying out XR exhibits A woman’s mouth hangs open in awe as she tries out a VR demo A collage of XR Access seminars, including community discussions, Round Table, Helping Hands, Scene Weaving, Walkabout Mini Golf, and more Jazmin Collins teaches a class of middle schoolers about XR accessibility Ria Gualano gives a presentation to a full house in the Verizon Event Center at an XR Access Symposium Dylan Fox gestures emphatically at an XR Access Symposium as speakers look on behind him

The Dream Lives On

While we’re pausing active operations, the need for accessible XR hasn’t diminished—and neither has the expertise and passion of this community. We encourage you to keep innovating and advocating for accessibility; to stay connected with fellow community members; and to ensure that wherever people are talking about XR, they’re also talking about accessibility, and vice versa.

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey: our speakers, participants, partners, and supporters. The foundation we’ve built together will continue to support more accessible and inclusive extended reality applications. We retain hope that future funding may enable us to resume operations.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our community and worked to make these new technologies more equitable and accessible. It has been an honor to work with you all, and I hope to see you again in other contexts. 

“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.” ― Edward M. Kennedy

With gratitude,

Dylan Fox
Director of Operations, XR Access
Cornell Tech

Group shot of XR Access chairs and volunteers onstage at the end of the Symposium. 13 people pose in two rows, along with Shiri’s guide dog Jarvis.