Out today with Il Sole 24 Ore the guide on the Reform for disability, which also contains the following contribution. Other articles at this link.
by Alessandro Solipaca – Research Director at Istat
The UN Convention (CRPD) defines people with disabilities as those who “… have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. The new paradigm highlights the social dimension of disability, which highlights how this condition is, in part, a particularly serious consequence of a society’s inability to ensure equality of opportunity for people with health problems.
In this last regard, it is appropriate to know the living conditions of people with disabilities, with reference to some of the main dimensions of social inclusion. In Italy, people with a certification or who have been paid a pension or an allowance related to disability are 7 million and 658 thousand, of which 4 million and 245 thousand are over 65 years old. These data refer to people who have a health deficit certified by a medico-legal Commission.
Istat, in population surveys, following the approach proposed by the CRPD, estimates that there are 2 million 921 thousand people who, due to the negative interaction between health conditions and living environment, are unable to carry out the activities that an individual normally performs during the course of life. They are mostly elderly people (1 million 326 thousand are over seventy-five), who often live in conditions of fragility and solitude (28.4% live alone), in poor health (55.4%) and who receive insufficient help or assistance (about 2 million individuals).
Right to education
Article 24 of the CRPD recognizes the right to education of persons with disabilities as a means for the development of their potential, as a guarantee of their human dignity, as well as an indispensable means for their individual autonomy. 55.7% of persons with disabilities aged 25-44 have at least a high school diploma (this is 78.0% among persons without disabilities); 5.3% of persons with disabilities have not obtained any qualification (this is 0.8% among the rest of the population).
Right to work
From the point of view of the right to work, in the population aged 15-64, only 33.5% is employed (it is 60.2% in the rest of the population); the share of people looking for work is equal to 18.7% (it is 12.9% among people without disabilities). Workers with disabilities less frequently hold top positions: 15.6% vs 18.3% of the rest of the population.
The economic conditions of families with a disabled person are affected by the high costs of care and assistance, but also by the difficulties in generating income. The risk of poverty or social exclusion affects 28.4% of families with at least one disabled person (the national average is 23.4%) and 38.4% experience low work intensity (9.1% in the rest of the families).
The summary presented, if compared with that relating to the average population, highlights that there are still significant disadvantages for people with disabilities. Welfare policies, implemented largely through monetary transfers, have only attenuated social and economic differences or prevented them from amplifying. This shows that there is still a long way to go, in terms of aid, breaking down barriers and new enabling tools, to ensure complete inclusion for people with disabilities.
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