The Umbria Region has approved its Regional Intervention Program for Non Self-sufficiency (Prina): a result which is also the result of the work done together with Fish starting from 2020, with the formal adhesion of the Region to the “Welfare 4.0 – definition of inclusive community welfare” (council resolution no. 757 of 26 August 2020).
That project – created by Fish in collaboration with Uildm and Ledha – lasting 18 months, had been conceived before Covid but precisely in light of what happened in the long months of the pandemic it demonstrated its extreme relevance in questioning the fragility of a welfare model based on “taking charge” and on health and social-health residences to urgently move instead to community welfare, centered on rights. «Through Welfare 4.0 we are committed to promoting and defending the rights of people with disabilities in Italy. In fact, we believe that welfare should be a fundamental pillar of our society, guaranteeing fair and inclusive access to quality services for all citizens. We need to “give fuel” to an inclusive community welfare system based on a new culture, image and representation of disability», said Vincenzo Falabella at the beginning of September, in the final event of the project.
A new welfare cannot be created without new actions and tools: the theme of language, communication and representation of disability was therefore one of the cornerstones of the project (for example with the seminars for journalists but also with the MOOCs for online training created by Fish in collaboration with Federica Web Learning of Federico II University of Naples) together with support for independent living projects, a true revolution in the system.
The Regional Intervention Program for Non Self-sufficiency of the Umbria Region goes exactly in this direction, an initiative that will be preparatory to the implementation of one hundred independent living projects as part of the Welfare 4.0 project. The document was approved unanimously and refers to a budget for the personalized life plan. «An ambitious project that aims to promote independent living for people with disabilities, offering them the opportunity to live an independent life and actively participate in society», underlines Fish. «These projects include a wide range of services and supports, including access to affordable homes and apartments, personal assistance services, training courses and inclusion in the world of work. The objective is to guarantee each person with a disability the possibility to make autonomous decisions about their life and live independentlyrespecting one’s choices and preferences, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities”.
«The Welfare 4.0 project was fundamental to the success of this initiative, bringing expertise, passion and dedication to the cause of the inclusion of people with disabilities. This partnership demonstrates how cooperation between organisations, public bodies and civil society can lead to significant results in the area of well-being and equality”, states Giuseppa Adamoresponsible for the design of Fish.
The president of Fish is also satisfied with the intermediate objective achieved, Vincenzo Falabella: «Now we have to work to realize these life projects for one hundred Umbrian citizens and work on the establishment of territorial agencies for independent living. This is an important step towards a more inclusive society, which recognizes the value and dignity of every individual, regardless of disability.”
Photo by Marcus Aurelius, Pexels