International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025

Participation, autonomy, and well-being are fundamental aspects of growing up. They shape how young people engage with the world around them, build relationships, pursue their interests, and develop confidence in their own abilities.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we reflect on the importance of ensuring that children and adolescents with visual impairment have the opportunities, support, and resources needed to thrive in all areas of life.

For children and adolescents with visual impairment, health, well-being, and autonomy are closely connected. Supporting one often means considering the others, recognising the different factors that shape experiences throughout childhood and adolescence. This holistic perspective is one of the foundations of the VIPPSTAR project.

Innovation is not an end in itself, but a means of supporting health, well-being, autonomy, and independent living. An important part of this is understanding how children and adolescents with visual impairment can engage critically and safely with future digital technologies for health, including AI systems.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is also a reminder that participation extends beyond access to services, opportunities, or technologies. It also means being able to contribute to the conversations and decisions that shape them. In this respect, the involvement of young people and families is not simply a project activity, but an important part of ensuring that their perspectives, experiences, and priorities are represented.