I arrived at the Fondazione CRT offices in Turin as a correspondent for Ombre e Luci, assigned to cover a seminar for journalists titled "When Disability Goes Unmentioned." I was grateful for the opportunity—and pleasantly surprised by what I found there.
The palazzo, like many in central Turin, radiates solid confidence and financial might. I might have felt out of place in my ordinary clothes among the tailored suits—especially knowing that young journalists in these difficult times dress modestly out of necessity rather than choice. But within minutes, I noticed people in wheelchairs entering with the ease of those who belonged. The building was welcoming.
The conference room featured tables arranged in an ogival pattern, almost filling the space. Participants sat along the sides at stations equipped with microphones, video screens, and water bottles. Chairs could be moved to accommodate wheelchairs. Nothing marked one seat as belonging to a speaker and another to an audience member.
Angelo Miglietta, secretary general of the Fondazione CRT, opened the day. His first remarks surprised us all. He described a "great lesson" learned while preparing for the 2006 Paralympics. The experience of addressing disability issues, he explained, had permanently shaped how the Foundation approached all its work—from ensuring the accessibility of buildings it funded for restoration. He believed that building a society centered on the person, with all her particular gifts and challenges, enriches everyone.
He urged journalists to activate international networks, to connect with people who think differently than we do, so we might broaden our vision and understand that the world is made of countless different ways of being.
He challenged journalists to use their platform as educators, adopting correct and precise terminology, covering stories involving people with disabilities with competence and awareness.
This theme guided every speaker who followed.
Matteo Schianchi, historian, writer, and former Paralympic athlete, offered a striking statistic: people with disabilities constitute "the world's third nation" in sheer numbers. Though diverse in their needs, they are growing in numbers—a consequence, he noted, of the social and economic structures we inhabit. He emphasized that journalists must understand the common ground that unites disabled people, while also distinguishing among different disabilities in order to address each one fairly.
Franco Bomprezzi, a journalist of many years who navigates life in a wheelchair, delivered a particularly stimulating talk on disability language. Among his key points, he took aim at the term "diversamente abile"—variously abled—that has become fashionable and appears neutral. He urged journalists instead to say "person with a disability." This phrasing, he explained, keeps the focus on the individual—unique, irreplaceable, bearer of rights like everyone else—who also happens to live with a particular condition, whether physical or mental, that shapes his or her life. He concluded by distinguishing between two terms that ought to replace each other:
— The old concept: integration means making room in society for someone deemed different, expecting that person to adapt and requiring us to restructure the physical and mental architecture of the environment to accommodate them.
— The new concept: inclusion means recognizing every person, with their particular gifts and challenges of every kind, as a rightful member of a free society—a society enriched by its differences, capable of offering equal opportunity to all. A society that would be a gift to everyone, disabled or not.
This is the goal we must work toward. This is what the media must teach.
That afternoon, after an excellent buffet lunch, I heard two remarkable stories. Cerrie Burnell, a BBC journalist, and John Foppe, a trained counselor, both grew up in families where disability was not treated as insurmountable. Though their paths diverged, both found their way to meaningful work that puts them before the public eye. They spoke simply and with passion. Their stories showed something crucial: often it is the social context and the relationships we inhabit that create the real handicap, starting from an actual difficulty or disability.
Elisabetta de Rino, 2009
The Participants
Fondazione CRT: Founded in 1991 following the privatization decree of the Cassa di Risparmio (Savings Bank), it is a nonprofit that funds activities across many sectors of social work. Since 2002 it has focused on the Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions. It successfully organized the 2006 Paralympics and, as of this October (2009), marks the handoff to Vancouver with a series of exhibitions, talks, and events about sports and disability.
University of Turin Journalism Master's Program: Co-sponsor of the seminar. The program director, VERA SCHIAVAZZI, presented the curriculum and emphasized the need for a code of ethics and a glossary of correct terminology for discussing disability. She announced that two students with disabilities have been admitted to recent cohorts after passing rigorous selection.
Glossary of key terms for speaking about disability, prepared by RAI's social affairs office (present was director ENZO CUCCO), in collaboration with ANFFAS. Though dated to 2003 and in need of updating, it remains useful.
Matteo Schianchi: A historian and sociologist with deep expertise in disability issues—he is an amputee himself. His presentation was brief but rich. His book The World's Third Nation is essential reading. One statistic struck me: Italy records fifty to sixty thousand new cases of disability each year, most from traffic accidents or workplace injuries.
Franco Bomprezzi: A journalist of 67 with an enviable career and a knighthood conferred by the Italian Republic in 2007. He uses a wheelchair, which he regards as a tool of freedom. He has osteogenesis imperfecta. Like any aspiring journalist of his generation, he climbed the ladder at various newspapers. He has appeared on television programs and written for numerous publications and for superabile.it.
Cerrie Burnell: A 29-year-old BBC journalist from London who makes no effort to conceal her right arm, which is significantly shorter than her left and without a hand. She wears no prosthetic, which she finds cumbersome. She is the mother of a one-year-old. After years of theater training—pursued with great determination and creative problem-solving—she was hired by the BBC for her skill in communicating with children. She works on a children's channel where viewers can interact with staff. Some parents complained about her appearance; a newspaper published their letters and attacked the BBC's decision. The next day, Cerrie became famous. The BBC responded with full support, helping her navigate the media attention without retreating, and offering her a permanent contract. Everything turned out well.
John Foppe: Born in rural Missouri, the fourth of eight children, born without arms. As a boy, he threw himself into church volunteer work rather than isolate himself from the sports culture around him. He agreed to appear in a series of educational films addressing serious adolescent problems—addiction, suicide, eating disorders—distributed in schools. This visibility led to work as a motivational trainer for a major American firm. He strengthens the resolve of athletes facing difficult seasons and employees pursuing challenging goals. He has worked with the Dolphins, a famous American team. He wrote What Is Your Excuse? to help people with serious challenges face life's difficulties. He is married with a two-year-old daughter and maintains a website in his name.
Redattore Sociale: A daily news agency of the Comunità di Capodarco. Its director, STEFANO TRASATTI, shaped the day's agenda.
