VISTA 2025 is the 11th edition of the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Scientific Conference, designed to foster critical inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and knowledge exchange in the field of Para sport. For the first time in its history, the conference will be hosted on the African continent—in Cairo, Egypt, from 7 to 10 December 2025—marking a significant milestone in the global expansion of the Paralympic Movement.
This year’s conference theme,
“Developing Para Sport: Inclusion, Transformation, Health and Performance,”
reflects the IPC’s commitment to advancing research and practice that directly contributes to the participation, wellbeing, and performance of Para athletes across diverse global contexts.
VISTA 2025 provides a platform for academics, clinicians, sport scientists, engineers, and sport administrators to share original research, present innovative practices, and engage in evidence-informed dialogue. The conference programme will include:
By bringing together the global community of stakeholders in Para sport, VISTA 2025 aims to bridge the gap between science and practice, enhance the visibility of emerging research, and contribute meaningfully to the development of inclusive sport systems worldwide.
• To provide a forum for exchange on current information, research and expertise related to Paralympic Sport and the Paralympic Movement.
• To enhance and promote cross-disciplinary professional interaction among sport scientists, coaches, athletes and sport administrators.
The target groups of the Conference include: sports scientists and researchers, classifiers, coaches/trainers, sports administrators and athletes.
VISTA 2025 is organised around the theme: “Developing Para Sport: Inclusion, Transformation, Health and Performance”. The theme will be discussed in keynote presentations, invited symposia, and free communications. They will cover key issues such as Classification, Ethics and integrity, socio-cultural development, sport medicine, health and well-being, sport performance, and technology.
In 1993, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) realised that it was important to exchange experiences and increase knowledge pertaining to sport for athletes with a disability in the international arena. As a result, the concept of VISTA, which means a long succession of events, emerged.
The first VISTA Conference was held in Jasper, Canada in May 1993. At this Conference, 163 international participants convened to discuss issues pertinent to sport for athletes with a disability. The delegates included researchers, administrators, trainers, coaches, and athletes. A variety of plenary and interactive sessions were organised in the areas of performance, technical developments, sports medicine, classification, inclusion, ethics, management, and administration.
Since then, the conference has grown and took place in Cologne, Germany (1999); Bollnas, Sweden (2003); Bonn, Germany (2006, 2011 and 2013); Girona, Spain (2015); Toronto, Canada (2017); Amsterdam, Netherlands (2019) and a hybrid VISTA in 2021.
The conferences have had various themes such as “theory into practice”, “Youth in Disability Sport” ; “Classification – Solutions for the Future”; “Equipment and Technology in Paralympic Sports”; “Healthy and Fit for optimal performance”. The VISTA 2021 conference had as its theme” translating research and development to athlete performance”.
Over the years the VISTA conference has become an important international event that provides a forum for exchanging the latest information, research and expertise related to sport for people with a disability and promotes cross-disciplinary interaction between sport scientists, athletes, coaches, administrators, and the media.
