“With the decision taken by the Government there is recognition of the identity of a deafblind person. I believe it was a positive, fundamental step. The Government, also supported by those outside the Government, has decided to change the definition of deafblindness , including in this concept people who cannot see or hear of any age, even when this double handicap reaches adulthood. After a certain number of years of work, information and awareness-raising, the institutions have taken note that there is this reality that needs to be first recognized and then helped.” This was said by Rossano Bartoli, president of the Lega del Filo d’Oro Foundation, commenting on the Simplifications bill just approved by the Council of Ministers, which provides for an amendment to law 107/2010 regarding the recognition of the rights of deafblind people.
“At the Chamber of Deputies we had the opportunity to present the Manifesto of deafblind people, that is, a list of the main problems that concern the life of a person who experiences the condition of deafblindness, a person with multiple disabilities – added Bartoli on the sidelines of the event held yesterday at the Chamber – In this list we ask for adequate interventions from public institutions”. The main requests of the document concern “being able to aspire to a life that is as autonomous as possible and being able to access services even outside the region of residence. We also ask to have effective availability for the staff “necessary” for communication, interpreters and accompanying persons, because we have blind and deaf people who inevitably depend on the assistance of others. We must also think about the future, about what comes after us, especially for people with multiple disabilities, who are growing given that we always live moreover”.
Remembering the anniversary of the 60 years of activity of the Lega del Filo d’Oro, Battoli commented: “For an organization it is a good age that gives us hope. The families ask us to make further efforts and the projects we have in the pipeline perhaps they can be implemented more quickly. When we opened the first center outside the Marche, in Lombardy, it took a few decades. In recent times, however, the projects are implemented even within a few years, obviously if we cross administrations and people attentive and sensitive to the reality of the person with serious disabilities”.
