When a service evaluates virtual reality, the question that usually follows price is this: can our patients actually use it?
It is a good question, and the honest answer splits three ways: there are limitations that are no obstacle at all, limitations that call for care, and limitations that mean the answer is no. It is worth knowing which is which before buying.
Nothing to operate
The most common confusion comes from video games: people assume controllers, buttons and manual dexterity.
RVer's base library has none of that. It is 360° video, and the team chooses and drives, from the Companion app in the browser. The person wearing the headset does not have to operate anything: they watch and listen.
That resolves a large set of situations at once: tremor, arthritis, hemiparesis, amputation, reduced strength, or simply not knowing how to use technology. None of them prevents a session.
The RVer Motion, RVer Neuro and RVer Exposure modules do use controllers and movement: they are a different proposition, they are in development, and they are not covered by the medical device registration. The base library is not.
Reduced mobility and bed-bound patients
Seated is the recommended mode for everyone, not only for people with difficulty. The relevant risk in a session is not the image: it is someone standing losing their balance with their field of view occupied.
For people bed-bound or reclined there is a lying-down mode, which aligns the horizon of the experience with the tilt of the head. The image appears level with the person at 30° or 90°: in bed, in a dialysis recliner or in a dentist chair. It applies to every scenario in the library, with no need for content filmed specially.
Wheelchair: nothing particular, it is a seated session.
Communication
You do not need to speak to take part. There are no verbal instructions to follow and no answers to give.
That makes the session accessible to people with aphasia, dysarthria, or who simply do not communicate verbally. But it places a demand on the team: if the person cannot say "take this off me", whoever is in the room has to read the signs (agitation, hands going to the headset, turning away) and the app allows a remote stop.
Combining the two resolves it. Neither alone is enough.
Vision and hearing
Here it pays to be blunt, because this is where too much gets promised.
Low vision: it depends entirely on the degree and type. The screen is very close to the eyes and large in the visual field, which helps some people, but it is not a vision aid and should not be sold as one. Testing with the person is the only way to know.
Blindness: the experience is visual. Spatial audio exists, but it would be dishonest to present this as a proposition for someone who cannot see.
Deafness or hearing loss: the scenario remains, with one layer fewer. Several scenarios work well without sound.
Prescription glasses: a practical question worth resolving at installation, with the team, rather than on the day of the first session.
Cognition
The base library requires no understanding of rules and no tasks to complete: watching a beach has no instructions. That is why it works with people with moderate cognitive impairment, and reminiscence is one of the most frequent uses in care homes.
The limit is written in the contraindications and is about safety, not comprehension: anyone unable to follow safety instructions due to severe cognitive impairment should not use it without prior clinical assessment.
When the answer is no
For honesty, and because it is short:
- a history of severe motion sickness or vestibular disorders;
- uncontrolled epilepsy or photosensitive seizure disorders;
- inability to follow safety instructions due to severe cognitive impairment;
- children under 10;
- and, most important of all, anyone who does not want to. Covering your eyes is not neutral for everybody, and refusing is a complete answer.
The list is on the FAQ page and in the manual.
A note on language: "accessible" does not mean "for everyone". It means the avoidable barriers have been removed and the remaining ones are written down. That is what can be promised.
In short
| situation | answer |
|---|---|
| No manual dexterity, tremor, hemiparesis | No problem: the team drives |
| Wheelchair, reduced mobility | No problem: seated session |
| Bed-bound or reclined | Lying-down mode |
| Aphasia, no verbal communication | Possible, with the team reading signs |
| Low vision | Case by case; test |
| Blindness | Not the proposition |
| Hearing loss | No problem |
| Moderate cognitive impairment | One of the most frequent uses |
| Severe cognitive impairment with safety risk | Prior clinical assessment |
On risks and contraindications in full, see is virtual reality bad for you?. On who runs the session, see who can run a session.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to use controllers for a virtual reality session?
Not with RVer's base library. It is 360° video and the team chooses and drives, from the Companion app in the browser: the person wearing the headset watches and listens, they operate nothing. That resolves tremor, arthritis, hemiparesis, amputation, reduced strength or simply not knowing how to use technology.
Can a bed-bound person or wheelchair user use virtual reality?
Yes. Seated is in fact the recommended mode for everyone, because the relevant risk is someone standing losing balance with their field of view occupied. For people bed-bound or reclined there is a lying-down mode, which aligns the horizon of the experience with the tilt of the head, at 30° or 90°.
Can someone with aphasia or who does not speak take part?
Yes: there are no verbal instructions to follow and no answers to give. But it demands more of the team: if the person cannot ask to stop, whoever is in the room must read signs such as agitation, hands going to the headset or turning away, and the app allows a remote stop.
Can someone with low vision or blindness use it?
Low vision depends entirely on degree and type: the screen is very close and large in the visual field, which helps some people, but it is not a vision aid and should not be presented as one: testing is the only way to know. For someone who is blind, the experience is visual and it would be dishonest to present it as a proposition.