Alessandra Locatelli, Minister of the Republic for Disability, was the speaker at the convivial meeting on April 21: “New Perspectives for Inclusion: From the Current Regulatory Framework to the Enhancement of Everyone’s Talents and Skills.”
Her passion for volunteering began at age 16 at the Setificio, then developed after her secondary studies with an experience in Africa, followed by work at Casa Famiglia and other social initiatives with the goal of placing not only disabilities but also the difficulties of families on the same level—parents who dedicate their lives to caregiving amid countless logistical, bureaucratic, and economic challenges. We must think of a “life plan” by investing in people, understanding their potential, and opening the doors of the social community—a coordinated and widespread project, not managed through fragmented individual actions. Much will be accomplished with the Enabling Law on Disability through 5 implementing decrees, including the establishment of the National Disability Ombudsman, the institutional board for determining LEPS (Essential Levels of Social Services), and the possibility of access to public administrations to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to express their abilities and skills. This involves the ICF model (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health), which assesses a person’s functionality and replaces the current static tables from 1992 with disability percentages. These projects will enable people to have a more dignified life: services, medications, aids, but above all, relationships. In Europe, we are at the forefront in designing these models, but even in Italy there is disparity among regions—not so much in the presence of volunteering as in the capacity of institutions to manage funds allocated to social projects. Prompted on this very topic by a question, the Minister outlined a series of social projects with funds already allocated and subsequently addressed concerns that the Third Sector Law has raised for volunteer associations with a heavy increase in bureaucratic and economic burdens (the Single Register of the Third Sector), proposing a possible future reconsideration of certain aspects. Finally, the warm recommendation to always place the noun “person” before the adjective “disabled”: “person with a disability” among many “people”
L.F.
