The International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) celebrates the International Day of Education 2025: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into education systems, it is essential to prioritize human control and decision-making, particularly when addressing the diverse and unique needs of individuals with visual impairment, including those with blindness, partial sight, deafblindness, and multiple disabilities.
This year’s celebration calls for the active involvement of individuals with disabilities, organizations of and for the disability community, as well as researchers and practitioners, to advocate for inclusion at the heart of technological advancements. Together, we can guide changes brought about by AI technologies in ways that protect human rights and that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention of the Right of Persons with Disabilities.
Key Objectives for Preserving Human Agency in AI-Driven Education:
- Explore AI-Driven Opportunities: AI offers many possibilities in teaching, learning, assessment, and administration. It is crucial to explore how these technologies can improve educational outcomes without placing marginalised groups at risk or further widening inequalities.
- Promote AI Literacy Development: Educators and learners must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand and engage with AI technologies. UNESCO’s AI competency frameworks should be integrated into any comprehensive strategy for AI capacity building across all educational levels. Key considerations are ensuring access to the internet, enforcing ethical and universal design principles, and promoting environmentally sustainable AI practices.
- Preserve Human Elements in Learning: AI should complement, not replace, essential human aspects of education necessary for overall development such as relationships, emotional intelligence, and social interaction. It is crucial to advocate for the integration of AI in ways that preserve and enhance these human-centered aspects, ensuring that AI supports, rather than diminishes the social and emotional dimensions of learning.
- Ensure Accessibility in AI Tools and Platforms: The design and implementation of AI-driven educational tools and platforms must adhere to international accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. This includes making AI tools operable through assistive technologies, such as screen readers and braille displays, ensuring compatibility across diverse devices and interfaces, and involving persons with disabilities in the development and testing processes to guarantee usability and inclusivity.
While advancements in AI-driven educational tools are improving accessibility and enhancing learning experiences, it is essential to recognize the challenges that remain for learners with visual impairment. Many technologies are not universally accessible, especially in low-income countries or regions where high costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited support networks restrict availability. Additionally, AI tools are not always suitable for every learning context, as some learners may require alternative approaches that go beyond what technology can offer. To address these disparities, we must push for equitable access to assistive technologies, develop cost-effective solutions, and adapt tools locally to meet the diverse and unique needs of learners around the world.
Actionable Recommendations:
- Foster Collaboration and Networking: Strengthen partnerships among governments, educational institutions, and organizations like ICEVI to share resources and advance global progress in inclusive education, ensuring all students have access to AI-driven learning tools.
- Promote AI Competency Development: Ensure that both educators and learners, especially those with visual impairments, develop a thorough understanding of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and risks. This will equip them to navigate a technology-driven world effectively.
- Balance Automation and Human Agency: Advocate for AI’s complementary role in education, ensuring it enhances, rather than replaces, human decision-making and emotional intelligence. Establish accountability for AI decisions to align with human intentions.
- Instill Ethical and Critical Thinking: Incorporate ethical and critical AI education into curricula to guide responsible use of AI technologies, ensuring they respect the rights, safety and dignity of students with disabilities and ensure the use of AI is appropriate for the context and learning needs.
- Advance Inclusive Learning through AI: Support the integration of AI tools that provide personalized learning experiences learners with visual impairment, ensuring equitable access to education.
- Prepare for Future Skills Development: Equip learners with visual impairments with the skills needed to succeed in an AI-driven world by promoting ongoing reskilling and upskilling initiatives within education systems.
ICEVI affirms its commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and accessible educational environment for learners with visual impairment. As AI technologies evolve, we recognize opportunities they offer and the challenges they present. By promoting AI literacy, advocating for human-centered learning, and ensuring that assistive technologies are accessible to all learners, ICEVI aims to guide the integration of AI in ways that enhance educational outcomes.
For inquiries, please contact [email protected] or visit ICEVI.org.
