Welcome to VIPPSTAR

VIPPSTAR (Visually Impaired children and adolescents: bridging the gap with Personalized Prevention Strategies, Tools, Approaches and Resources) officially started on 1 January 2025 as a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).

The project aims to establish the first holistic European framework to support the long-term health, well-being and autonomy of children and adolescents with visual impairment (VI). Visual impairment can be identified early in life and often affects multiple dimensions of development, including psychological well-being, educational pathways, social participation and physical health.

VIPPSTAR responds to this complexity through a personalised prevention approach. The project integrates healthcare support with family engagement, serious gaming, personalised eLearning and assistant-based coaching tools. A strong emphasis is placed on self-empowerment and agency, supporting young people with VI in engaging safely and critically with digital technologies, including AI-based health systems.

A key innovation of VIPPSTAR lies in its focus on body image and identity development in youth with VI, and in understanding how these factors interact with digital media use. The project will also establish a dedicated surveillance network to compare new intervention models with national standards of care across different socio-economic and geographical contexts.

Over the next four years, the consortium, composed of leading universities, clinical centres, technology partners and organisations representing visually impaired persons, will work collaboratively to bridge gaps between research, care, and digital innovation.