While Virtual Reality offers transformative potential for immersive storytelling, the heavy reliance on visual stimuli often excludes Blind and Visually Impaired audiences. Conventional accessibility methods, such as linear Audio Description, frequently struggle to keep pace with the non-linear, explorative nature of virtual environments, resulting in an "accessibility chasm" where traditional two-dimensional solutions fail to support non-visual navigation. This research addresses these limitations through a User-Centred Design approach, centred on the thematic analysis of semi-structured focus groups involving twelve experienced Blind and Visually Impaired videogame players from the Royal National Institute of Blind People. The inquiry explored four themes: spatial sound navigation, audio description integration, haptic efficacy, and the social dimensions of virtual interfaces. Findings indicate that non-visual spatial exploration requires a multifaceted auditory system utilizing 3D-sound, predictable sound effects, and abstract sound signifiers, paired with a hybrid audio description model balancing functional and affective narration. To mitigate the risk of cognitive overload, participants identified haptic feedback as a critical tool for tactile confirmation and attentional guidance, serving as a non-auditory anchor that complements the primary soundscape. These user-led insights and real life examples seen on accessible video games inform the development of the ‘Description Spheres’: interactive virtual objects embedded within virtual environments that serve as multi-sensory hubs. By integrating spatialized audio, localized haptics, and experimental audio description, the system enables a transition to a dynamic, exploratory model that translates complex visual-spatial data into intuitive, non-visual sensory ecosystems, offering a scalable blueprint for inclusive design.
