(UNWEB) – Perugia – Isolation, complexity, fear, but also reflection, challenge, innovation, hope: these two blocks of words, which on the one hand indicate how much people with disabilities and their families have been put to the test by pandemic, on the other they enhance their resilience, the desire for life, to be there and to make people feel that in the darkness one can always find a light that indicates the right path: precisely with the aim of obtaining a regional overview of the impact of Covid 19 on people with disabilities, the Regional Observatory on the subject has created a thematic notebook which is number 1 of a series of insights that will be published periodically.
The contents of the research were illustrated in Perugia during a press conference in the presence of the president of the Umbria Region, Donatella Tesei, the regional councilor for Health and Social Policies, Luca Coletto, and the president of the Observatory, Paola Fioroni. Speakers included the manager of the Region’s social policy service, Valentina Battiston, Lucia Maracaglia and Giulia Mandoloni, editors of the research report, and the coordinator of the study, Ugo Carlone.
During the meeting, the researchers announced that this is a qualitative research based on interviews involving officials, professionals and managers of associations that also interact with the public sector. The objective was to understand the impact of the health emergency on the daily routine of people with disabilities and their families, as well as the dynamics of access and use of services, to outline strategies for protecting and guaranteeing the rights of individuals with physical and mental.
It emerged that the pandemic has put social protection systems to the test, even advanced ones: people with disabilities, residing both in facilities and in their own homes, have faced many difficulties which have accentuated pre-existing inequalities, making it even more difficult their work, school and social inclusion. The measures adopted to combat the spread of the virus then led to the reduction of social relationships, isolation and interruption of services, with a significant impact on the lives and well-being not only of people with disabilities, but also of their families. .
The interviews highlighted the crucial importance of family caregivers who had to deal with an additional burden of care and balance increased responsibilities, just as the disruption of support services emphasized the dependency of families, highlighting the urgent need for strengthen support at both an institutional and social level.
A great positive change has been represented by online services, which have, in some ways, favored inclusion and strengthened the links between operators, users and their families. This indicates an interesting approach to develop for the future, but also that technological tools have not always been fully able to fully satisfy people’s needs, highlighting the importance of face-to-face interactions.
“The pandemic – said the president of the Observatory, Paola Fioroni – has highlighted the territorial lack of homogeneity in access to services and the need for more effective integration between social and health services. Addressing these problems, including that of Educational inclusion requires constant commitment and targeted public policies, staff training and greater attention to the needs of people with disabilities and their families. It is necessary to create a more equitable, inclusive and effective support system, more focused on the person and personalization of solutions. Flexibility in adapting services, long-term planning and collaboration between public bodies and the third sector emerge as fundamental elements for building a support system more suitable for people with disabilities”.
Councilor Coletto, after thanking the president of the Observatory, Paola Fioroni, “for the great work done”, said that “the rethinking of territorial services represents a significant challenge that the Umbria Region is facing. During the pandemic, adopted significant changes in this context and the support of technological tools that have favored remote diagnosis and treatment have been, in some cases, fundamental. We expect a lot from the work we have started, just as we expect a lot from the essential levels of performance which, as with the Lea, must be well defined to satisfy all needs”.
“This innovative research – highlighted President Tesei – is very useful work for looking to the future and we are carrying out a series of initiatives with the person at the center and we are implementing policies and actions increasingly aimed at technological innovation, to inclusion among operators, users and families to guarantee a service that is increasingly responsive to the needs of people with disabilities. These are good practices that go beyond strictly emergency contexts which will positively support the planning and use of services also in the future, indicating a transition towards an even more flexible, participatory and well-being-focused approach. The analysis underlined the impact of Covid at all levels and the critical issues on people’s lives, but I believe that it could be a very particular moment, which can open up a path towards personalized paths capable of satisfying needs, expectations, difficulties and opportunities to initiate all possible interventions to make life better from all points of view. This very important work – concluded the president – testifies to the sensitivity of the Region in view of the G7 meeting on the topic of disability which will be held in Umbria in October”.
At the end of the meeting, a new work was also presented which has the general objective of investigating the quality of school inclusion of pupils with disabilities. The investigation is promoted and supported by the Elisa83 association and, by virtue of an agreement and a privileged relationship with the company Local Health Authority Umbria 1, involves the direct involvement of the company’s social service. Also present was the president of the Association, Adolfo Orsini.
