Off-Air Holidays: Freedom, Autonomy and Inclusion

"I was finally able to leave on my own": Sara summarizes her experience with Fuorionda , an independent social promotion association created to offer inclusive and accessible vacation experiences to people with disabilities . Not a summer camp or a tour operator, but an initiative designed to allow each participant to experience a vacation period with a level of freedom and opportunities very similar to that of anyone else.

" I like to think that we are a bit like those associations that organize trips for people who have the same passions ," explains Katia Mignogna , president of the Arte e Libro association in Udine . It is within this association that the Fuorionda project was born in 2010, which then became an independent social promotion association in 2019. Mignogna continues: "The first time we took the kids on vacation, we actually weren't aware of what we were about to achieve. We wanted to build a shared experience with some people from Arte Libro to take them out of their daily work environment. We organized that first trip at Villaggio Marzotto in Jesolo."

A small step that already the following year has set in motion a structured and inclusive project with the aim of offering all the people who want it - therefore not necessarily only those who participate in the activities of Art and Book during the year - a week of vacation, in which to have new experiences in a safe environment . The benefits of Fuorionda vacations also involve the families who stay at home: in fact, knowing that their loved ones are in a protected and qualified context allows them to recharge their batteries and find serenity .

Today Fuorionda deals with free time for people with disabilities and organizes three weeks of summer stay , between the end of July and mid-August, involving a total of about 60 participants each year. Most come from Friuli Venezia Giulia, but some also come from neighboring regions, often thanks to word of mouth .

The groups are formed taking into account the degree of autonomy of the participants, but without dividing them based on similar needs. «On the contrary», explains Mignogna, « we try to create heterogeneous groups, with different abilities, so that each one can help and enhance the other . This approach strengthens self-esteem and promotes mutual contribution».

The number of operators and volunteers is calibrated based on individual needs: it ranges from situations in which an operator can follow several people to cases in which continuous assistance is needed with night presence and health support.

As Mignogna explains: «The first few years we started with just a few operators and many volunteers. However, we quickly realized that the safety of the kids who participated in the vacation had to be central to the goal of making them feel free and calm, so we reversed the numerical ratio. Today we have more operators than volunteers». Last summer, for example, the 53 participants were supported by 15 operators and 7 volunteers. Furthermore, for some years now, the figure of the professional nurse has been included in the summer vacations .

Fuorionda allows not only vacations but a real experience where assistance is there but does not take away space for freedom. "The goal is to allow people with disabilities to experience vacations exactly as we experience them," Mignogna reiterates. "So going for an aperitif, going out dancing, shopping or simply deciding to go to the beach. Everyone can freely choose what to do without depriving themselves of all those moments that make a vacation truly free. We at the organization are at their side for every need, from helping them take a medicine or do therapy to getting dressed."

The constant presence of operators also makes the difference . "One of the main obstacles of summer stays offered by some day centers is related to the times of the operators' shifts, which follow the classic 8 hours a day. In this way, the remaining hours of the day are left uncovered, which the caregiver often has to take care of," concludes Mignogna. "We have chosen a completely different approach, with operators present 24 hours a day, to guarantee continuous and discreet assistance, capable of accompanying every moment of the day, from breakfast to an evening at the disco, in total safety and freedom."

In the opening photo a moment of the Fuorionda holidays (Photo site arteelibro.com)

Tags:
• Rights
• Disability
• Family