Gabriella Bertini: From segregation to independence
Enrichetta Alimena
In this paper, I have tried to profile Gabriella Bertini, a Tuscan activist who has spent her life working to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injury, like herself, and with disabilities in general. Her battle began in the 1970s, when people with disabilities experienced segregation. After the age of 18, she began studying and then working, fighting to create the first department for the care and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury, the so-called Seventh Paraplegic. She is one of the founders of the Tuscan Paraplegic Association and the Independent Living Association and brought these issues to national attention by participating in the drafting of Law 104/92. Gabriella’s story is emblematic of her political commitment and ability to bring people together beyond the issue of disability, constantly challenging the institutions to achieve concrete results. A story, therefore, that teaches so much even today.
Keywords
Segregation, Disability, Fights, Spinal Unit, Independent living.
