Personal mobility of the disabled, denied rights and blackouts in Rome

Poverty and social exclusion

19 October 2019

Poverty, 1 out of 5 at risk in Europe, 1 out of 4 in Italy. The Eurostat report

22 October 2019

Published by Dario Dongo on 20 October 2019

Personal mobility, the rights of the disabled

The disability it can express itself in various forms. Physics and sensory, neurological and psychic. In many cases the disabled person needs to be accompanied and transported. Every day, even if in many cases only to travel short distances. A specific right corresponds to this need, proclaimed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (1)

The UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilityin particular, it established the duty of States to guarantee the personal mobility of disabled people with the highest possible level of independence. Taking into account their needs and their free choices, at affordable costs. To enable their participation in an inclusive society. (2)

Personal mobility, rights denied in Italy

Constitutional law of people with disabilities to be able to receive personal mobility services, in Italy, is however systematically violated. And above all, social services in support of personal mobility vary significantly from region to region, as well as from one municipality to another. With abysmal levels of inequality, as always to the detriment of the 'last of the last'.

The serious defaults of the public sector are aggravated by the omitted definition of the Essential Levels of Assistance (LEA) relating to individual mobility. The disadvantaged are so often forced into complete social exclusion. Except being able to rely - in some areas of the country and within the limits of providence - on private voluntary services that in some way make up for public shortcomings.

Families and care-giver they are the only way of salvation, for those who at least have this resource. To be able to attend school, go to work, provide for the needs of daily life and participate in social activities. As well as go, if necessary, to treatment and therapy centers. (2)

Personal mobility in Rome. A forerunner public social service

The taxi social service in favor of disabled people it was introduced by the Municipality of Rome 3 decades ago, precisely to guarantee the personal mobility of at least some of the disadvantaged individuals. A preview, among other things, of the affirmation of this right by the United Nations General Assembly.

The lists of beneficiaries of this service, in hindsight, had already been closed for several years. Consequently, those who had acquired the right to individual mobility in more recent times were barred from it, regardless of the level of their invalidity and financial situations. But for at least a thousand people, such vital support has been provided for a long time.

The capitalmoreover, it is plagued by ubiquitous architectural barriers and widespread inaccessibility of public transport. In a context that has recently worsened due to widespread breakdowns of the lifts, in the already few theoretically equipped subway stops. As we have denounced several times, last summer, at the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Rome.

Taxi social service

The 1 October 2019however, the social taxi service for the handicapped was suddenly interrupted by the Municipality of Rome, without any warning. Blackout. The testimony of our friend Carlo Corizza, who was able to benefit from it for a long time, is here below.

'I'm 100% disabled from birth, due to spastic hemiplegia, and I live in a wheelchair. Since 1990 I have been working for the Municipality of Rome, in the registry office.

From the beginning from my work I was able to use the individual mobility service for the disabled. A service organized by the social services of the municipality of Rome in agreement first with all the radio-taxis of the city, then only with the cooperatives 06-3570 and 06-6645.

Thanks to the taxi social service - which, moreover, had been granted to a limited number of invalids residing in Rome - I was able to go to work every day for 30 years, being accompanied from home to office and vice versa.

Blackout in Rome

'Starting from 1.10.19 however, the taxi social service was suspended, without any warning. The Municipality of Rome has in fact decided to replace this indispensable service for many of us with a collective transport service through unusable and inaccessible minibuses, from the Tumbo company, if I remember correctly '.

The minibuses they organize collective tours to 'collect and unload' the disabled in the various areas of the city. They must be booked one day in advance and yet do not guarantee the continuity of transport during the hours that are imperative for those who work. Moreover, the drivers do not wait even a few minutes late, which is sometimes unavoidable for the disabled due to sudden emergencies.

But what is worse, the minibuses have no platforms to allow access for those who are in electric wheelchairs, and they do not have an employee who can help the disabled in difficulty to get on and off a vehicle that, unlike the taxi car, it is tall and difficult to 'climb'.

Following the suspension of the taxi social service, many of us are unable to go to work, others have to give up school, still others from therapies. And also disabled pensioners, who until a few weeks ago were entitled to 8 trips a month, must in turn give up transport for medical examinations rather than for social activities'.

'Expelled' from work

'This situation it is completely unsustainable. For those who work, facing the costs of a daily taxi transport is almost impossible. The risk is to lose your job and suffer further social exclusion. For those who do not work, it goes without saying that a disability pension of 280 euros per month is incompatible with any outing and therefore forces the disabled person to complete isolation.

By the Municipality of Rome, no signal. From the Lazio Region, much less. The situation is firm, the discrimination unsustainable.'

We thank Carlo Corizza for sharing, expressing our willingness to collect testimonies on the levels of public service offered to the handicapped in the various Municipalities of Italy. With a view, among other things, to take legal action to obtain the concrete recognition of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), article 20. (2)

Interested parties are requested to write to us, [email protected].

# Égalité!

Dario Dongo

Note

(1) UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), original English text on https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/crpd_english.doc

(2) CRPD, Article 20 - Personal mobility.

'States Parties shall take effective measures to ensure personal mobility with the greatest possible independence for persons with disabilities, including by:

(a) Facilitating the personal mobility of persons with disabilities in the manner and at the time of their choice, and at affordable cost (...). '

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