Dreaming of a World Beyond Disability

Kim Han-eol, a software engineer at Unity Korea and doctoral student at Sogang University Graduate School of Metaverse, experienced sudden lower body paralysis in 2017 due to a hemangioma on the spinal cord compressing the spinal cord nerve — requiring major surgery and rehabilitation before returning to society. Experiencing social discomfort and others'' gaze as a person with mobility impairment, he became interested in metaverse''s potential as a space free from disability constraints where everyone can live without discrimination. Key insights from his experience: (1) Universal disability — everyone has their own disabilities that become more apparent with age; metaverse removes the visible markers that trigger discrimination in physical spaces; (2) Barrier-free metaverse development necessity — COVID-19 pandemic showed both disabled and non-disabled people experience activity restrictions; wheelchair exercise methods being implemented through animation and virtual avatars; "Barrier-free metaverse" enables people with congenital disabilities, acquired disabilities, and diverse conditions to engage in economic activities and hobbies as protagonists; (3) Workplace transformation — metaverse enabling people with mobility impairments to participate in work environments not designed for them; remote work through metaverse reducing discrimination and physical accessibility barriers; (4) Disability awareness improvement — metaverse enabling non-disabled people to experience disability perspectives through avatar embodiment, potentially reducing discrimination and improving empathy; the physical world''s accessibility infrastructure is slow and expensive to change — the metaverse offers an immediate alternative where inclusion is built into the design rather than retrofitted. Kim''s vision: metaverse as social infrastructure enabling all people to live with dignity regardless of physical condition.