Working towards a dream
Cecilia Marchisio, Natascia Curto
Over the last ten years, the convention of rights, one of whose main characteristics is the view of persons with disabilities as citizens with equal rights (UN, 2006), has gone from being the viewpoint of some organisations of people with disabilities to becoming the reference for national legislation in several countries, including Italy. In this new perspective the aspirations and demands of persons with disabilities and their families have a central role. The article describes the Independent Life Workshop, an approach that encourages capacity building for the parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 0 and 14. The programme follows a group of parents as they become aware of their abilities and their rights and is aimed at their taking control of their children’s lives. The workshop could be a useful tool for helping families and local areas to fully apply the UN Convention.
Keywords
Rights, capacity building, independent life, families, life project
