VR Lawsuit Filed Due to Lack of Captions
December 4, 2020 BY JACLYN LEDUC
Updated: March 9, 2021
Dylan Panarra attempted to use Viveport Infinity, a VR gaming service by HTC Corporation, and realized it lacked something important: captions. Because Panarra is deaf, the lack of captions didn’t allow for equal access to the VR service.
On November 18, 2020, Panarra filed a civil rights suit (Panarra v. HTC Corporation et al.) in the New York Western District Court against HTC Corporation, citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Panarra, the plaintiff, will be represented by Eisenberg & Baum, a firm that has a Law Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The official case number is 6:20-cv-06991.
How the ADA Impacts Online Video Accessibility
What is VR?
VR is the short-hand term for virtual reality, which is a computer-generated simulation. VR technology creates an artificial, three-dimensional environment to interact with using electronic tools, such as VR goggles. Augmented reality and mixed-reality fall under the umbrella of virtual reality.
Viveport Infinity, the VR service in question, is an unlimited VR subscription service providing access to virtual reality content, including games, apps, and videos. The service is the first of its [...]