As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of the history of interactive computing and the development of virtual reality as a special discipline out of stereoscopy and computer science. The toy industry is expected to downsize existing systems for the home market and exploit the commercial potential of virtual reality. Possible applications for instruction of persons with disabilities are discussed in light of both the intuitive appeal of the technology and mixed findings on the effectiveness of simulations as educational interventions and the lack of special education students as subjects in such research. The importance of ensuring equitable access to advanced technologies for students with disabilities is stressed. (Contains 18 references.) (DB)