“The socio-economic and family context into which a child with cerebral palsy is born unfortunately determines his or her prospects and future, as CP is a complex condition. But we must ensure that everyone has equal access to the tools for diagnosis and inclusion in education, social and professional life.
We people with cerebral palsy face a society that is not yet ready to include us, that relegates the most severely disabled to a corner, with only the prospect of a life of care and assistance, far from the rest of society, and these prejudices are reflected in the people around us. Suffice it to say that this summer, while waiting for a lift with my son, a lady asked him why he was alone. Even though I was there, I was transparent in her eyes. But more and more people with cerebral palsy are making their way into society, starting with the nuclear physicist Fulvio Frisone and the American actress Maysoon Zayid, to name but two pioneers who have paved the way for the next generation. But society is still not ready to see us in our entirety, with our bodies twisted by spasticity.
National and European legislation has taken many steps forward in removing architectural and sensory barriers, now it is time to make students of engineering, architecture and interior design aware of the study of universal design so that every space built in the future is not only accessible ‘even for people with disabilities’, but that it is accessible for all. From this point of view, I believe that inclusion can be declared complete when we no longer have to make impossible searches to find accessible beaches for our holidays, but we can book anywhere because all the lidos have become accessible and it has become normal to see our bodies in bathing costumes without curious glances.”