On 16 January 2025, a panel discussion dedicated to the crucial topic concerning “Inclusive leadership and security: overcoming the barriers of disability in society, work, art and sport” was held at the ‘Prefetto Carlo Mosca’ Conference Hall in the Scuola di Perfezionamento per le Forze di Polizia (SFP).
The moderator for this meeting was Mr. Antonio Squillace, communications expert and collaborator of the F.I.G.C. Federal Prosecutor’s Office. This event was attended by several experts and outstanding persons, including Mrs. Veronica Berti Bocelli, President of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, and Mrs. Angela Sara Ciafardoni, writer and blogger, both linked via conference call. Moreover, Senator Giuseppina Versace, a former Paralympic athlete, Mr. Antonio Fantin, a Fiamme Oro Paralympic champion, Mr. Francesco Camellini on behalf of the ANMIC (National Association of Civilian Disabled and Invalids) and Lawyer Maurizio Borgo, President of the National Guarantor Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, attended the meeting in presence.
This event was attended by civil and military authorities, trainees of the SFP’s Advanced Training Course and of the Defence Advanced Studies Course, as well as by the Student Senior Police Officials of the ‘Piersanti Mattarella’ Istituto Superiore di Studi Penitenziari. The Director of the SFP, National Police Dirigente Generale Maurizio Vallone, delivered his welcome speech by emphasizing the Institute’s commitment in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, both through the elimination of architectural barriers and, above all, of cultural barriers, which hinder the expression of individual potential.
Mr. Squillace introduced the debate by quoting a sentence by Candido Cannavò: ‘Real limits exist only in the eyes of the beholder’, to underline the importance of a different viewpoint on disability. Senator Versace, reporting her experience, explained that Paralympic sport allowed her to overcome the difficulties related to the serious accident she had suffered and called for the creation of an inclusive society where people with disabilities can express themselves freely, thus achieving the purpose which is the focus of her political commitment.
A significant contribution was provided by Mrs. Veronica Berti Bocelli, who illustrated her Foundation’s initiatives to support young people with disabilities in their artistic and educational commitment, through projects involving hospitals, schools and care facilities in Italy and abroad.
Mrs. Sara Ciafardoni also offered important food for thought, talking about the ‘normality’ of disability which, thanks to technology, makes it possible to carry out activities that previously were considered as impenetrable barriers, albeit in a different way. It is crucial, she stressed, that society could be able to recognize and enhance the beauty of this diversity.
Mr. Camellini, on behalf of ANMIC, underlined the importance to keep on focusing our attention on disability, which affects about 7.5 million people in Italy and can affect anyone. He recalled the importance of detecting hidden forms of disability during Police Force interventions, especially in case of delicate situations such as family crises.
Mr. Antonio Fantin told how the support of family and friends is crucial to enable persons with disabilities to live his or her condition in a peaceful state of mind. His experience as a Paralympic athlete showed that an approach based on a booting mindset can be useful to overcome not only physical barriers, but also mental and cultural barriers.
Finally, Mr. Maurizio Borgo, President of the National Guarantor Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlighted the importance of the reform that, in 2024, established the Authority. He explained that this new body represents a fundamental step to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities, moving from a welfare approach to one aimed at enhancing their potential.
Among other things, the Authority will focus on the abolition of the term ‘disability’ from all forms of communication, as it is expressly forbidden by current legislation, and on the implementation of the ‘Life Project’, which provides for a personalized procedure aimed at improving the quality of life of disabled people.
In conclusion, Mr. Borgo underlined that Italy today represents a reference point worldwide for the rights of persons with disabilities, thanks to reforms that fully correspond to the principles established by the 2008 UN Convention.
This event represented an opportunity to exchange experiences with the aim of underlining, once more, the importance of an inclusive society, where disability is not an obstacle, but a resource to be enhanced.
