Tommaso Daniele led the Italian Union of the Blind and served as President for twenty-eight years. During his Presidency, the Union changed its name to the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired (UICI). From 1986 to 2014, Professor Daniele highlighted the UICI central role in the renewal, growth, and defence of the rights of blind and visually impaired people in Italy.
Professor Daniele was elected National President in January 1986, following the resignation of Roberto Kervin, beginning a long and impactful presidency, founded on the values of associative unity, moral responsibility, democratic participation, and innovation.
From the early years of his presidency, he promoted strong initiatives to mobilize and raise public awareness, such as the Braille Prize and actions against cuts to social services and activities.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the UICI achieved important results in the field of new laws thanks to the President's work: the recognition of the accompanying allowance, the fight to remove architectural barriers, the access to public spaces for guide dogs, the achievements in professional recognition, and the important reforms in the school and workplace fields. His work focused on education, culture, accessible information, and equal opportunities for women, young people, the visually impaired, older persons, and people with multiple and complex disabilities.
In 1991, he contributed to the creation of I.Ri.Fo.R., a strategic institute for research, training, rehabilitation, and technological innovation, while in 1992, UNIVo.C. was established for volunteering activities. The association has progressively strengthened its role not only in representation, but also in the provision of services. The UICI entry into the digital age became real with the realization of the website (1996) and the modernization of the spoken book centre.
Between the late 1990s and the early 2000s, new legislative achievements should be remembered (the Salvi decree on employment, law 69/2000 on education, the establishment of the Omero Tactile Museum, the recognition of tax and welfare benefits), along with the celebration of the Union's 80th anniversary and a deep organisational reorganisation.
Daniele also held senior European roles, representing the EBU at the Council of Europe. In addition, he nominated, between others, Rodolfo Cattani as Vice President.
The late years of his Presidency have been marked by economic crises, resource cuts, and political difficulties, but also by the defence of the already acquired rights for persons with visual impairments and new fights for accessibility and inclusion. In 2013, following serious health problems, Daniele decided to resign.
I conclude this article by emphasizing how Daniele's presidency left a fundamental legacy: institutional authority, public visibility, solid organisational structures, and a modern and inclusive vision, which has been handed down to his successor. Tommaso Daniele must be recognized for his historic role in the protection of equal opportunities and in the development of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Hubert Perfler