Game changer: Could Virtual Reality help pave the way to workplace diversity?

July 17 2024

The modern workplace can be a minefield for people who are neurodivergent.

Facing battles like the sensory overload of fluorescent lights and office noise, inaccessible work environments and unconscious bias, the vast talent pool of neurodivergent workers is often marginalised.

VR-ELOVATE enables viewing of simulated scenarios
including job interviews and hands-on training.

However, a world-first Virtual Reality (VR) tool created by Monash Business School's Opportunity Tech Lab (OTL) is poised to change the game.

VR-ELOVATE (Virtual Reality Editor Leveraging Opportunity Tech Lab’s Virtual Assets for Training and Education) is designed to equip neurodivergent people with the skills and confidence they need to excel.

OTL Director Professor Charmine Hartel said the powerful tool had the potential to redefine workplace inclusion.

“There has been so much discussion about inclusion and the need to reduce inequities, but the reality is, not a great deal has changed over the decades,” Prof Hartel said.

“What the Opportunity Tech Lab has created is a scalable, cost-effective solution that can make a real difference, right now.”

OTL Adjunct Professor, Wallara Australia CEO Phil Hayes-Brown, said VR-ELOVATE could create simulations that help employers better understand the challenges faced by workers with disabilities.

“Australia has a huge workforce participation gap for people with disabilities,” Mr Hayes-Brown said.

“This technology will foster empathy and understanding and help close that gap.”

A revolutionary approach

OTL Innovation Lead, Adjunct Associate Professor (Research) Dr Paul McIntosh, said unlike traditional VR technology that requires specialist programmers, VR-ELOVATE takes a unique approach.

“We have designed a new system that allows anyone, even those without coding experience, to create VR content with just a little training,” Dr McIntosh said.

Inspired by video game design programs, it features intuitive drag-and-drop tools that allow non-technical users to edit immersive 180- or 360-degree videos.

These can be tailored to simulate a wide range of scenarios, from job interviews to hands-on training in anything from coding to communication.

Giving neurodivergent entrepreneurs an edge

OTL Senior Simulation Education Specialist Adjunct Associate Professor (Research) Dr Irwyn Shepherd said the potential applications for the technology extend well beyond the workplace.

As part of the Inclusivator Project, in collaboration with Monash Tech School, VR-ELOVATE will provide a supportive environment for neurodivergent entrepreneurs to refine their pitching skills and enhance their confidence.

Currently in the testing phase, the project immerses participants in scenarios that simulate real-life pitches from three successful neurodiverse entrepreneurs.

“One of the biggest challenges for neurodiverse entrepreneurs is communication – how to present themselves, what to say, how to use body language effectively,” Dr Shepherd said.

“Our goal is to give neurodivergent entrepreneurs an edge in self-confidence, show them what they are capable of, and encourage them to have a go.”

Shaping the future

Prof Hartel said the team would showcase VR-ELOVATE’s potential at the national Disability at Work Conference in Sydney on July 23 and 24.

OTL Director Professor Charmine Hartel.

“The conference will be an exciting platform to demonstrate how VR-ELOVATE can make a real difference in the lives of people with neurodiversity and help address the challenges faced by the disability sector more broadly,” she said.

Prof Hartel said the Lab had a pipeline of other incredible ideas ready to revolutionise our approach to inclusion.

However, collaboration would be the key to success.

“To turn these ideas into reality, we are actively seeking partners who share our vision for an inclusive and equitable economy and who want to help us move these initiatives forward,” she said.

“We have talked about inequality long enough - now is the time to act.”

To find out more about VR-ELOVATE, visit the Opportunity Tech Lab website.