**Using MR simulations to audit your own space for everyday barriers**You stand in your kitchen, reaching for a cabinet handle that sits just above eye level. A mug slips from your grasp onto the counter. For many people, these small frictions compound into real obstacles—especially when vision blurs, hands tremble, or contrast fades. An accessibility audit of a familiar room usually relies on checklists or tape measures. One worthwhile thing a curious non-specialist can do is step into mixed reality to experience the same space through simulated impairments and note what actually breaks.The concrete activity is walking through a room (or examining a workstation screen) while using an MR headset app that overlays realistic vision, motor, or hearing filters on the live passthrough view of your surroundings. The modest takeaway is a short, personal list of specific barriers and one or two concrete changes worth trying—such as lowering a frequently used item, adding contrast tape, or adjusting lighting—without needing professional equipment or expertise.Spatial interaction matters here because the simulations are anchored to the actual environment and your body’s position in it. You can reach for the real cabinet while the view blurs or shifts, turn your head to compare clear and filtered sightlines, or test whether a shaky pointer lands on a physical button. A flat screen simulation cannot replicate the depth, reach, or locomotion involved in the same task.**Try this first** If you have access to a Meta Quest 3 or 3S, download the free “pour: accessibility simulations” app from the Quest Store. Launch it, select a single mild-to-moderate simulation (for example, central vision loss or hand tremor), and spend five to ten minutes moving through one room or looking at your desk setup. Pause after each notable friction and speak a quick note into your phone or jot it down. That single pass is the complete entry activity.**What you need** - A compatible standalone MR headset (Quest 3 or 3S). - The pour app (free, no account required, runs entirely on-device). - Roughly 15–30 minutes in a space you can safely walk. The app uses the headset’s passthrough cameras so the room stays sharp underneath the chosen filter. Simulations include colour-vision deficiencies, various sight-loss patterns with depth-aware blur, low contrast, glare, hand tremor or drift on virtual pointers, and simple hearing overlays. Each steps through mild, moderate, and severe levels, and you can toggle back to the unfiltered view by gripping a controller.**One coherent route through the activity** 1. Put on the headset in the target space and open pour. 2. Choose one impairment category and a moderate level to start. 3. Walk or turn slowly, paying attention to everyday actions: reaching shelves, reading labels, navigating doorways, using appliances, or viewing a computer screen. 4. When something feels noticeably harder—text disappears in glare, a handle blends into the wall, a pointer misses a target—pause and note the exact object or location. 5. Switch to the clear view for a moment to confirm the difference, then return to the simulation. 6. After 10–15 minutes, remove the headset and list the three to five most concrete observations.A likely stumbling point is initial disorientation or mild discomfort with certain filters (the app flags these). Recovery is simple: grip a controller to restore the real room view immediately, sit down if needed, or lower the severity slider before continuing. The documented capabilities—real-time passthrough with overlaid effects, controller or hand input for toggling, and short guided sessions—directly support this workflow.**A small reusable aid** After the session, use this quick observation prompt for each noted issue: - Exact location or object - What the simulation made difficult - One low-friction change to test (e.g., “add matte tape to the cabinet edge,” “move the kettle to the lower shelf,” “increase lamp brightness and test again”) **Natural endpoint** You finish with a short, actionable list tied to your own space. Reflect on which simulated barriers felt most surprising and which changes seem worth trying first. The value lies in the direct, embodied comparison rather than any measured improvement score.If you already own a Quest headset, the first action is simply opening the app and running one moderate simulation in the room you use most. For readers without a headset, a phone-based alternative such as RNIB Eyeware provides a lighter, non-immersive starting point using the device camera and optional cardboard viewer, though it lacks the same spatial reach and body-scale interaction.One question from your own experience: which everyday object or surface in your space has already caused repeated small frustrations that a quick simulation might clarify?