The term “caregiver” refers to all individuals who continuously support and assist, at a domestic level, a person who is unable to care for themselves, either totally or partially, due to illness, disability, or conditions of frailty. Caregivers are divided into two categories:

• Formal caregivers, meaning paid professionals specialized in assistance and care, such as nurses or social workers;
• Informal caregivers, typically family members or friends who take responsibility for caring for someone in need of assistance.

According to ISTAT estimates, more than 7 million Italians regularly provide care to a loved one without any formal compensation. In this context, family caregivers perform complex tasks ranging from managing therapies and monitoring symptoms to providing psychological and logistical support for accessing medical visits or treatments, as well as handling the patient’s daily life. All of this is accompanied by the challenge of balancing caregiving responsibilities with work obligations, often leading to unsustainable rhythms that are nonetheless necessary to cope with healthcare-related expenses.

For many Italian families, managing these responsibilities becomes particularly burdensome due to the lack of adequate training. The absence of structured educational pathways leaves caregivers unprepared to face demanding tasks, increasing stress, burnout, and emotional overload, which can negatively affect both the caregiver’s and the patient’s physical and psychological health.

The Italian regulatory framework formally recognizes caregivers with the aim of expanding their rights and protections. In particular, the 2018 Budget Law (Article 1, paragraphs 254–256, Law No. 205/2017) defines the “care provider” as a person who assists and takes care of specific individuals, acting as the person responsible for another dependent and non-self-sufficient individual, including those with disabilities, within a domestic setting. This person organizes and manages the care required, often being a close family member.

Depending on the situation, caregiving activities can vary significantly: some caregivers administer medication, prepare meals, assist with personal hygiene, manage daily activities, and support mobility, while others provide emotional support and companionship. In general, caregivers play a crucial role, offering physical, practical, bureaucratic, emotional, and social support.

Despite the importance of their role, especially for the sustainability of public healthcare systems, non-professional caregivers are still not fully recognized at a national level, particularly regarding economic, social security, and work-life balance protections. However, a framework bill approved on January 12, 2026, by the Council of Ministers aims to formally recognize family caregivers and define a set of rights and protections for those assisting non-self-sufficient or disabled individuals.

The main measures include:

• formal recognition of caregivers through INPS, with a structured identification process for both the caregiver and the assisted person;
• national financial support, with the possibility for cohabiting caregivers to receive a monthly allowance of up to €400 for low-income households;
• mandatory inclusion of the caregiver in the Life Project and Individual Care Plan (PAI) of the assisted person, laying the groundwork for future social security and employment protections;
• coordination between national and regional measures to ensure uniform protection and reduce disparities.

The bill defines who can be recognized as a caregiver (spouse, cohabiting partner, or relatives within certain degrees) and establishes a comprehensive legal framework, with allocated resources of approximately €257 million. The bill must now be discussed and approved by Parliament, a process that may take several months and could involve amendments. Many civic and healthcare organizations hope the text will become more inclusive, extending protections to non-cohabiting caregivers and introducing broader support measures such as psychological assistance, training, and extended care leave.

The Italian Constitution provides clear protection, particularly in Article 38, which recognizes the right to maintenance and social assistance for “every citizen unable to work and lacking the means necessary for subsistence.” Social assistance refers to protection for individuals with physical or mental impairments, aimed at improving their quality of life and ensuring equal opportunities.

At the core of this recognition lies the idea that the right to assistance is a legal entitlement aimed at relieving need. This reflects the concept of “participatory solidarity,” through which the State supports citizens, in line with Articles 3 and 32 of the Constitution, where the principle of equality intersects with the right to health. In Rawlsian theory, this corresponds to the idea of justice as fairness, ensuring access to “primary goods” for all, especially the most disadvantaged.

Only in this way does health become a fundamental human right, requiring guaranteed access to care and assistance.

This is particularly relevant in the legal recognition of individuals with visual impairments, who are considered deserving of protection. Law 138/2001 classifies different levels of visual impairment based on internationally accepted ophthalmological criteria.

Totally blind individuals are defined as:
a) those with complete absence of vision in both eyes;
b) those who can only perceive light, shadows, or hand movement;
c) those with a binocular visual field of less than 3%.

Partially blind individuals:
a) visual acuity not exceeding 1/20;
b) visual field below 10%.

Severely visually impaired:
a) visual acuity not exceeding 1/10;
b) visual field below 30%.

Moderately severely visually impaired:
a) visual acuity not exceeding 2/10;
b) visual field below 50%.

Mildly visually impaired:
a) visual acuity not exceeding 3/10;
b) visual field below 60%.

This classification aims to provide financial support, promote technological innovation to maximize residual vision, enable functional rehabilitation in specialized centers, and offer social support.

However, significant concerns remain regarding economic sustainability and public spending, which risk turning health into a market commodity and limiting the effective realization of social rights.

Despite these challenges, the underlying goal remains to improve the quality of life of visually impaired individuals and promote their autonomy.

Economic benefits include:

• for totally blind individuals: attendance allowance and a non-reversible pension (subject to income limits);
• for partially blind individuals: a special allowance and a reduced pension.

Nevertheless, Law 138/2001 presents critical issues, particularly in restricting benefits to more severe cases, creating inequalities and excluding milder forms of visual impairment that still require support.

A purely numerical evaluation risks overlooking the real impact of disability on daily and working life. Moreover, there is often a gap between clinical classification and the actual provision of assistive technologies, such as video magnifiers or specialized software, which are essential for autonomy.

Additionally, navigating the legal process to claim one’s rights can be complex.

In Italy, several laws regulate disability rights, including Law 118/1971 on civil invalidity. Civil invalidity refers to reduced ability to perform daily activities due to physical, intellectual, psychological, or sensory impairments, including visual disabilities.

The recognition process involves a medical assessment phase and an administrative phase, determining eligibility for benefits. For financial support through INPS, a disability level between 74% and 100% is required.

Work plays a crucial role not only as a source of income but also as a means of autonomy, self-esteem, and social integration. Law 68/1999 promotes employment through targeted placement services, while Law 113/1985 ensures job placement for blind telephone operators in public institutions.

Despite difficulties, individuals with visual impairments possess valuable residual abilities. Modern technologies now enable them to perform roles once considered impossible, including administrative and managerial positions, thanks to tools like screen readers.

However, challenges remain, often due to employers’ limited awareness of available tools and capabilities. For this reason, special laws and employment quotas have been introduced to facilitate inclusion.

In conclusion, the recognition of visual disability is an evolving process that requires a person-centered approach, aimed at ensuring autonomy and full social participation by removing not only architectural barriers but also relational and sensory ones.