1. Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted activities
Employment is a key factor to guarantee the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities, this is the message that UICI President Mario Barbuto launched from Portella della Ginestra, Sicily, at the national event organised by the main Italian trade unions to celebrate 1 May. He said that it is time to understand that disability is often a resource rather than a problem and that authorities should focus on recognising the right to employment as a means of having a decent and meaningful life for citizens.
A delegation of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted visited Albania from 10 to 15 May 2017 to offer its support to the fellow organisation Albanian Blind Association (ABA), which is experiencing very hard times at national level. This international mission also offered the opportunity to understand how the ABA works and visit the main cultural sites of this beautiful country.
The national and European work on standardisation already plays and will increasingly play an important role in the life of persons with disabilities. For this reason the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted joined the Italian Standardisation body (UNI) and is participating at European level in the work of the Technical Committee on Assistance Dogs of the European Standardisation body (CEN), whose aim is to decide on standardization in the field of assistance dogs, users and training staff. 60 people attended the second CEN TC meeting, beside the UICI, the European Guide Dogs Federation was also present representating the European Consumers' Association ANEC.
2. Italian young people head to Europe
Young visually impaired from Sicily participated in the “Young people heading to Europe” project, coordinated by the Sicilian Regional Council of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted with the aim of training young blind and partially sighted people to enable them to enter the European labour market. Participants were trained in the following disciplines and subjects: European legislation, third sector legislation, European project management and fundraising, English
language, employability, computer literacy and assistive technologies for blind and
partially sighted people, as well as daily living skills, orientation and mobility. At the end of the training course, the young participants had the opportunity to experience what working and living in Europe means. London welcomed the young Sicilian group with its frenzy, courage and cosmopolitanism. From May 29 to June 5 project participants lived “as Londoners do”, experimenting what mobility in a metropolis is like, using public transport with a white cane and meeting the leaders and managers of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (R.N.I.B.) to exchange information and ideas on job placement, fundraising, public awareness-raising on visual disabilities and on political lobbying. Participants enjoyed London's beauties by visiting the most significant sites such as the British Museum, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and Camden Town, also with adapted tours for the full enjoyment of the visually impaired. This way participants could get an insight into British history and spirit and also put into practice the language skills acquired during the course. This visit allowed participants to successfully complete their training.