ITALY RECEIVES FDR INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY AWARD FOR SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE LIVES OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

ITALY RECEIVES FDR INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY AWARD FOR SPEARHEADING EFFORTS

TO IMPROVE LIVES OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Italy was saluted today at the United Nations for spearheading national and international efforts to promote the “equalization” of persons with disabilities, as it received the seventh annual Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award.

The award, a bust of Mr. Roosevelt, $50,000 to the National Council on Disability, an Italian non-governmental organization (NGO), and a donation of 1,000 wheelchairs from The Wheelchair Foundation, a United States-based organization, was presented by David A. Roosevelt, a great-grandson of Mr. Roosevelt and a Trustee of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. 

Mr. Roosevelt said his great-grandfather was not great in spite of his disability, but because of it.  His paralysis from polio had deepened his understanding of human nature and enabled him to touch individuals in society.  Because of his disability, he had also understood fear.  Having overcome it, he had been able to counsel Americans during the Depression that the only thing to fear was fear itself. 

Accepting the award for Italy and delivering a statement on behalf of its President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi was the Minister for Social Welfare and Labour of Italy, Roberto Maroni.  The award would give renewed momentum to Italy’s commitment to the full social integration of its disabled citizens to make their mark, despite, and perhaps because of their disability, he said.  The plight of the disabled was compelling, particularly in the developing world. 

Speaking for the Secretary-General, Nane Annan said that peacekeeping operations and complex crisis, like the one in Iraq, claimed the lion’s share of headlines about United Nations’ work, but advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities occupied an important position in the Organization’s global mission.  One in 10 persons had some form of impairment, making that a challenge for all countries, regardless of their level of development.  The United Nations had been at the centre of promoting the rights of those persons, under its Charter, the Declaration on Human rights, and the 1982 World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. 

(Secretary-General Kofi Annan stopped by, saying he could not resist coming down to express his solidarity and his support, and to thank the Italian Minister for his country’s work). 

Also participating in the presentation was General Assembly President Julian R. Hunte, and Chairman of the World Committee on Disability Alan A. Reich.  Mr. Hunte, noting that some 600 million people worldwide were living with disabilities, with 85 per cent of them in developing countries, said it was uncertain whether that number would decrease, in light of the number of injuries daily, as well as from conflicts and wars, and deadly landmines and terrorism.  He called for a celebration of the decisive and exemplary action of the Italian Government and people to affirm the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people with disabilities and greatly improve their lives. 

Commending Italy for responding with vigour to the United Nations’ call to action for countries to expand the participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life, Mr. Reich noted the absence of Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who was leading his nation in mourning after last week’s tragic attack in Iraq.  Indeed, terrorism had become a serious cause of disability.  He encouraged nations to implement the World Action Programme, which had been adopted by the United Nations following its 1981 Year of the Disabled.  Italy’s progress, which had included the passage of domestic legislation and assistance to war-torn countries, would inspire other nations to include the issue more fully in their national and community life. 

Co-chair of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, William van den Heuvel, who moderated today’s presentation, saluted Italy’s continued commitment to give meaning to the General Assembly’s World Action Programme.  The award recalled the courage and strength of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the thirty-second President of the United States.  President Roosevelt had understood the aspirations of the disabled because he shared them, and what he set in motion changed society’s attitude.  He had been the voice of the American people during two of their most difficult crises, leading them out of the despair of the Depression and to victory in the Great War.  At age 39, and stricken with paralysis, “FDR” took command of a paralyzed nation and lifted it to its knees. 

Introduced by Mr. van den Heuvel as having mounted a whole new generation of scientific effort, Christopher Reeve said that the fact that the Secretary-General had managed to come down at the last moment to personally express how he felt about the rights of people with disabilities worldwide, was a measure of how important disability was to the United Nations.  Over the past seven years, the award had gone to small countries with big hearts.  Italy’s buildings were old and its doorways small, yet it had taken great steps to modernize society and meet the needs of persons with disabilities.  It had also reached beyond its borders to Afghanistan, Uganda and Somalia by exporting technology and ideas, such as about inclusion. 

He said that when “FDR” created the National Institute of Health, its first mandate was to conquer polio.  Because of his vision and leadership, that had been achieved within the first nine years.  Today was not only about acceptance of people with disabilities, but about improving and sharing technological know-how.  Now was a very important crossroads, in terms of how the world thinks about disability and its changing attitudes about acceptance and action.  He commended Italy for being at the forefront in both of those spheres, and he urged the speedy adoption at the United Nations of a resolution on the rights of people with disabilities.  That would bring radical social change globally and do more for individuals in despair than could be imagined. 

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