VISTA Vocational Inclusion & Skills Training for People with Visual Impairments

Another important project has Kicked-off.

The integration of VIPs (Visually Impaired People) into the labor market remains a critical challenge in VET. According to (EBU), 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss, yet their access to vocational training and employment opportunities is severely limited. The unemployment rate among working-age VIPs stands at 75%, highlighting a serious gap in VET systems that prevents this group from acquiring the necessary skills for sustainable employment.
Existing VET programs across Europe do not adequately accommodate VIP learners, often lacking training materials, assistive technologies, and employer engagement strategies. Furthermore, VET educators and employers frequently lack the specialized skills needed to support VIPs in their professional development. This results in low participation rates in vocational training and lower integration into the workforce.
This project directly addresses these challenges by enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of VET for VIPs. Through innovative training materials for VET providers and employers, a cutting-edge accessibility-focused digital application, and structured on-the-job training opportunities, VISTA ensures that VIPs can develop employability skills and seamlessly transition into the labor market.

The barriers to VET and employment for VIPs differ across partner countries—Italy, Greece, Belgium, and Czechia—but all share a common need for more inclusive and accessible VET programs. In Italy, despite legal frameworks promoting disability rights, most VET institutions lack specialized methodologies and assistive technologies, leading to poor employment outcomes and insufficient support for employers to accommodate VIP workers. Greece, facing high VIL unemployment, rarely incorporates disability-inclusive training, with limited workplace accessibility and employer awareness further restricting opportunities for vocational placements. Belgium’s strong social inclusion policies are undermined by regional disparities and a lack of tailored training programs, while Czechia offers few specialized VET options for VIPs, with
assistive technologies not widely integrated into curricula, leaving learners without the digital and technical skills needed to compete in the job market. VISTA addresses these gaps with a unified, innovative approach to building inclusive vocational pathways across all four countries.

VISTA aims to achieve the following objectives:
– Develop innovative AI-based solutions to support visually impaired learners and trainers, providing them with digital accessibility tools, adaptive learning environments, and data-driven career guidance.
– Provide technical and soft skills training to visually impaired individuals, equipping them with competences that align with labor market demands and improving their access to quality employment opportunities.
-Implement a VET-adapted curriculum that includes digital literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability, ensuring learners gain essential transversal skills for professional growth.