ROME, JUNE 9 – The Italian Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, will attend the 16th Annual Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations in New York from June 13-15.
Minister Locatelli will speak at the plenary session to outline Italy’s commitments to inclusion and full implementation of the disability reform, enacting the core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She also promoted two side events organized by Italy in collaboration with other countries and associations. The first event, co-sponsored by Austria, which will be moderated by the Vice President of the European Disability Forum and also attended by Inclusion International, is dedicated to “Ensuring accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities in health and support services. Italy’s DAMA.” Prof. Filippo Ghelma, Researcher at the Department of Health Sciences of the University of Milan, Medical Director of the Azienda Sociosanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Santi Paolo e Carlo di Milano – Polo Universitario, will present DAMA (an acronym for Disabled Advanced Medical Assistance for persons with disabilities), an organizational model to facilitate access to health facilities for persons with intellectual and relational disabilities.
The second event, titled “Living Independently. The Network Model for persons with autism in adulthood,” is being held in collaboration with Argentina and Cuba, as well as the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs and is organized with Argentina and Cuba. Prof. Roberto Keller, Director of the Regional Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adulthood, ASL City of Turin, will present the Italian network model for the care of persons on the autism spectrum in adulthood. Other testimonies will be offered by the Italian National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), which will exhibit the best practices adopted by ENAC related to the preparation and assistance dedicated to persons with autism at all Italian airports, with ways to familiarize them with the airport environment in anticipation of travel. Progetto Filippide will exhibit the initiatives on sports and autism implemented by the Association in some Central American countries, funded by the Italian Development Cooperation. LIONS Clubs International will also exhibit some projects carried out with and for people on the autism spectrum.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Minister Locatelli will have bilateral meetings with counterparts from European and non-European countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Israel, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United States and Hungary, as well as with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Disability and Accessibility, María Soledad Cisternas Reyes.
“I expect Italy to become more and more of a protagonist in the international arena on disability issues,” said Minister Locatelli. “Certainly in our country we need to improve norms and update some laws, but the model of co-programming and co-planning between institutions and the Third Sector has resulted in extraordinary services, projects and activities that can become an example of action for many other countries.” (@OnuItalia)
