Mattarella: prejudice on disability is a wound for everyone, favour inclusion

"The Constitution guarantees every woman and man, without exception, the exercise of their rights. It is, often, an arduous path, especially for too many people with disabilities, who live conditions of loneliness and marginalisation". This was stated by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, emphasising that "prejudices and stereotypes hinder their full participation in the life of the community and the enhancement of their talents". "Families face enormous challenges - he continued -. Delays, denials, unreasonable complications, aggravate the economic, organisational and emotional burden of caring for people with disabilities, who are sometimes afflicted by abuse and mistreatment as well as discrimination. It is a wound for the entire community and it must be repaired with appropriate policies and choices". According to Mattarella, "inclusion enriches the whole community, contributes to an authentic and shared social progress, in which people with disabilities are not considered a burden, but full members of the common life, to which they are called to take part with the abilities they are endowed with".

The World Health Organisation estimates that there are 1.3 billion people in the world with significant disabilities, or 1 in 6 people. Their life expectancy is up to 20 years shorter than that of people without disabilities, and they are twice as likely to develop disorders and diseases such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke and obesity. In addition, people with disabilities face 'health inequalities due to stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers within the health care system itself'.

This year's celebration is directly based on what was decided at the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha from 4 to 6 November 2025. In the Qatari capital, world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building a just, inclusive and equitable world. Not least because, the UN recalls, 'persons with disabilities and their families face challenges and obstacles in achieving social development goals, are more likely to live in poverty, continue to face discrimination in employment and receive lower wages'. In short, 'social protection systems are unequal in terms of coverage and inadequate when it comes to taking into account the additional costs of disability'.

On the occasion of the World Day, Palazzo Chigi presents the new Action Plan for the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities of the National Observatory on the condition of persons with disabilities. "It is an important opportunity to draw everyone's attention to the issues of inclusion, the valorisation of people and the right to full participation in civil, social and political life in our country," emphasises the Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, according to whom "the economic growth and social cohesion of our country increasingly depend on the ability not to leave anyone behind". "We can no longer speak only of costs or assistance," she explains, "but of a serious investment in the potential and value of each person. For the minister, 'the road is still long, but in recent years we have taken important steps. I am thinking of the disability reform that we are currently implementing, which simplifies and bureaucratises the procedures for recognising civil invalidity, and which introduces the Life Project, but also of the recognition of deafblindness, the support for the employment of young people with disabilities with a 22 million euro fund, and the new 'Life and Opportunity' announcement, which by the end of the year will make 380 million euro available to support housing, recreational, and employment paths. Finally, attention will also be paid to caregivers with a law that will recognise their role in the burden of family care.