Rome – The Disability Day (DisDay) will take place Wednesday, February 28, at Piazza di Spagna (from the Metro A exit, turn right, near the flower kiosk, by the flower beds and taxi stand) from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Officials, institutions, journalists, public figures, and ordinary citizens are invited to "sit in our shoes"—to experience firsthand the barriers and discrimination faced daily by people in wheelchairs.
The Event:
"Walk a Mile in Our Wheels"
February 28, 2018 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Piazza di Spagna, Rome
The initiative, organized by the Disability Pride Italia 2018 Organizing Committee (an international event now in its third Italian edition, scheduled for July 15 and supported by dozens of organizations working for decades to protect the rights of people with disabilities), aims to bring disability into public consciousness and claim with pride the right to be citizens among citizens—people who simply want the same opportunities as everyone else. It is inspired by the 50 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Beyond highlighting the powerlessness and exclusion that make us feel unwelcome in the face of near-total architectural barriers, the event also aims to push business owners to comply with regulations on their own initiative. "We hope many will join us for a short walk along Via Condotti using an electric wheelchair we'll provide," says Carmelo Comisi, the Committee's coordinator.
"For Wednesday, many of us from the various organizations behind this initiative have volunteered to be your guides on four wheels through the heart of Rome—navigating barriers that are invisible to most, but that profoundly compromise the lives of wheelchair users and turn daily life into a constant battle against frustration and ignorance," adds Bruno Galvani, president of the ANMIL Foundation "Susteniamoli subito," one of the first nonprofits to join the effort. "Most people have no idea what it's like to move through the city in a wheelchair. Experiencing it firsthand can change everything."
The event will open from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon with remarks from Paola Baldassarre, Rome's City Councilor for Social Services, and Andrea Venuto, the city's Disability Manager, who will inaugurate the "first wheelchair journey."
For information and to participate, contact the Organizing Office.
Source: Anmil.it