Rights of persons with disabilities to the test of the new Action Plan

The disability ecosystem in Italy has been slowly structuring in recent years, with pieces that are gradually being added to the general picture in a path that will in any case be long and in progress. On the other hand, the demographic data are clear: in the next 25 years the country will record a significant overall ageing with the Italian population that will be composed by 2050 of 34.6% of over-65s, against a percentage of 24% today, and 7% of over-80s, up from 3.9% today, according to the ISTAT projections contained in the report 'Italy 2050: challenges and prospects of a society in transition'. An ageing that will also inevitably lead to an increase in people with disabilities: estimates indicate, for example, that cases of dementia could double between now and 2060. It is difficult, however, to have reliable projections on the overall magnitude of the trend that would give the measure of what could also become a social emergency, since the Italian trend is towards one-person households. Istat, in fact, warns us that single persons will represent 44.3% of families, while couples with children will fall from 28.6% today to 21.4%. There is therefore a risk that the alternative welfare network represented by family caregivers will disappear. At the same time, the number of lonely and non-self-sufficient elderly people will grow from the current 4.6 million to over 6.5 million, with inevitable repercussions also on the Italian national system, which will face an increase in demand for ongoing care as a result of the increase in chronic diseases and home care.

In this context, it seems clear that there is a need to accelerate the reform implemented since the enabling act 227/2021, which aims to simplify the recognition of disability, promote autonomy through the life project and strengthen support services. The reform, based on the legislative decree 62/2024 that came into force on 30 June last year, is in the trial phase: the first nine provinces that had started to apply the new rules since January 2025 have been joined by eleven others since last September. "The economic growth and social cohesion of our country also increasingly depend on our ability not to leave anyone behind. We can no longer speak of costs and mere aid, but of a serious investment in the potential and value of each person," explains Minister for Disability Alessandra Locatelli, who adds: "There is still a long way to go, but in recent years we have taken many steps forward. I am thinking, in particular, of the disability reform that we are currently implementing, which simplifies, cuts red tape and introduces the Life Project".

The machine is complex and there is no shortage of critical issues, as highlighted for example in Lombardy by CGIL, CISL, and UIL. According to the trade unions, the trial has revealed a reduction in the number of Inps territorial commissions, which leads to an increase in distances and waiting times for examinations; a shortage of Inps medical, specialist, and legal personnel, with a consequent slowdown in procedures; a decrease in the number of applications submitted; and an increase in the cost of the introductory medical certificate, which is now borne by citizens.

The National Observatory on the Condition of Persons with Disabilities (OND) approved on 28 November the new National Action Plan for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Plan consists of 66 lines of action divided into seven lines of intervention: universal accessibility; life project; well-being and health; inclusive security and international cooperation; labour inclusion; monitoring systems; education, university and training. In particular, following the approval, the minister stressed that 'one of the first lines of action that will have specific funding concerns the fight against violence against women with disabilities'.

The approval is the result of more than a year's work with working groups involving institutions, experts, associations representing people with disabilities such as FISH and FAND and other stakeholders. The new Plan, which will be officially presented today, December 3, on the occasion of the International Day on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, wants to mark the new programmatic phase in the framework of disability policies in Italy: after the previous two-year programmes, today it aims at a more structured, wide-ranging and lasting action according to some guidelines to ensure that persons with disabilities fully enjoy their rights of citizenship, equal opportunities, social inclusion and participation; to align national social, health, training, employment and accessibility policies with the international legislation protecting disability such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to concretely improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities by addressing physical, cultural, social and institutional barriers; and to create a structured monitoring and reporting system to verify the implementation of actions and promote transparency and accountability.