Neurodiversity in the Metaverse: Advancing CustomerAugmentation and Service Accessibility

The Metaverse is an ecosystem of interconnected, shared digital and physical environments in which physical and technology-enhanced realities are seamlessly combined (Golf-Papez et al., 2022, p.741). Such an environment offers a pivotal development in addressing the educational and support needs of neurodiverse individuals, a group characterized by a wide spectrum of neurological variations, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences. This study presents a systematic literature review on applications of Metaverse technologies towards individuals on the neurodiversity spectrum and derives a set of propositions about a broader approach to service accessibility. These propositions are formulated through the notion of “customer augmentation”, an approach to service accessibility predicated on enhancing the skills and abilities of customers’ operant resources (such as knowledge, skills and experiences) through customers' co-creation value during service interactions. By investigating how the Metaverse transforms support for neurodiverse individuals, this study offers insights for a more expansive approach to service design, transcending traditional views of neurodiversity as a limitation. It positions customer augmentation as a significant strategy for enhancing customer interactions within services, thereby broadening the scope of service design and accessibility.