Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research, and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, announced the launch of a new doctoral research project on visual impairment, funded by the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA). This research project will focus specifically on visually impaired children and adolescents and their families, with an emphasis on social dimensions, rights, and lived experiences.
Azzopardi Tanti stressed the importance of research as an essential tool for better understanding the realities faced by persons with disabilities. He emphasised, "Their experiences are shaped not only by the condition itself but also by social factors that can either strengthen inclusion or create barriers and a lack of equal opportunities. I remind you that disability is a matter of fundamental rights, and that research plays a crucial role in strengthening and protecting these rights."
The Parliamentary Secretary referred to the progress Malta has made in recent years in the field of disability rights, including the enactment of the Equal Opportunities Act and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which is now an integral part of Maltese law. This work, coordinated by the Ministry for Inclusion, is guided by the National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability, which also stresses the State's obligation to undertake such research initiatives. The effective implementation of these rights requires detailed knowledge of the specific needs of different groups, including visually impaired persons, so that public policy can be truly inclusive, and evidence based.
The doctoral project will be carried out under the supervision of the Department of Disability Studies within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta. It will complement existing studies such as the Malta Eye Study, as well as research being conducted in collaboration with the Malta Trust Foundation as part of its Vision Project. The expected results will identify gaps in services, support needs, and policy development opportunities in areas such as education, employment, community inclusion, and independent living.
On her part, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Chairperson of the Malta Trust Foundation, emphasized the importance of person-centred research that gives a voice to the real experiences of visually impaired persons and their families. She stated, "Through evidence-based and human rights-based research, we can clearly identify where more support is needed, as well as how we can strengthen services and policies that improve quality of life. The Malta Trust Foundation firmly believes that such research is crucial to building a fairer, more inclusive society that truly leaves no one behind."
Professor Anne Marie Callus, who will be providing academic guidance for this project, emphasized how research with this focus can lead to a deeper understanding of the experiences of visually impaired children and adolescents and their families. She explained that such studies are crucial for identifying both good practices that are yielding positive results and the challenges and barriers that still limit full participation and equal opportunities in Maltese society.
Professor Callus added that the knowledge gained from this research will contribute directly to the development of better services, more sensitive policies, and a more inclusive society, while strengthening Malta's vision of being a country that places the dignity, rights, and potential of every person at the centre of its work.
Through this initiative, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research, and Innovation continues to strengthen its commitment to quality research that is relevant to public policy, promotes social inclusion, and contributes to a better quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families. This initiative is the first in a series of research initiatives that the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research, and Innovation will be announcing during the new year.
For more information, one may contact the Department of Disability Studies within the University of Malta at [email protected].