On November 1st, 2022 the XR Association (XRA) trade association for VR, AR, and Mixed Reality companies announced the formation of the XR for All Foundation at XRA’s Limitless Future Conference. The press release says, “The XR for All Foundation’s main priority will be supporting the development of a diverse and equitable workforce for the immersive technology industry through broad-based research and impactful partnerships for generations to come.” I had a chance to speak with XRA President and CEO Liz Hyman and XR for All Foundation Chair, Jessica Lindl, who also heads up the education and social impact work at Unity Technologies. I was able to get more context on this new 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts that the XR for All Foundation has planned starting with conducting focus group research with aspiring and transitioning workers.
The XR Association is a 501(c)(6) organization that allows them to lobby congress on behalf of XR industry members including companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and Sony. The XR Association has also been involved in previous accessibility efforts with XR Access, but the DEI efforts of the XR for All Foundation will be largely separate and distinct from the XR developer education efforts, XR accessibility initiatives, as well tech policy advocacy headed up by the XR Association. I was able to get some clarification and updates on each of these fronts throughout the course of this conversation recorded back on December 12, 2022.
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Music: Fatality
