Life is wonderful

Life is wonderful because there are people who can make it so.

I left home, as usual, armed only with hope and courage. Once again, hope and courage became a network that allowed me to draw exceptional men and women who, with generosity, have helped me to build a new bridge to communicate love for life and participation.

Special men and women, full of enthusiasm and real witnesses of solidarity. To meet people with whom you can share a project is already, in itself, a victory, and right now I feel like a winner.

All of us, I believe, are pursuing a common goal. We all wish that a global agreement can be reached on new, concrete actions to prevent disabilities and, one day, end the imprisonment of disabled people, freeing our cities and our society from all social and architectural barriers that still prevent fundamental rights such as mobility, independence, education, work. In one word, the right to citizenship.

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Article 4 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that Members Nations shall “undertake or promote research and development of, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost”

Immediately after, in the context of the general obligations contracted by the underwriters, the Member States are also committed to “To provide accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including new technologies, as well as other forms of assistance, support services and facilities”

Each person, like everything else, has its own history. A story that can be modified, changed, improved. Even in a difficult historical moment like this one. Our biggest mistake, I believe, is to try to determine in each person precisely those qualities he or she doesn’t have, instead of exploiting those which are there: the future is already here, it is only not well distributed.

Disabled people, in close contact with others who are not disabled, build social paths following a
more difficult and complete journey: from the depths of their inner lives up to the more diverse and distant other, showing that this road is not only feasible, but is also always the shortest and the most liberating one, the most useful path for a relationship based on intimacy, that is the highest point of humanity.

It is in intimacy, in fact, that the differences highlight their value, when the person is placed at the center of our lives and survival behaviors lose their importance: defenses, claims, exhibitions and all that has a flavor of deception.

Disability is like a prima donna, when she is on stage all the other fade out or even disappear. The rejection of this view is sharp and clear: disability should not cancel people, but still should not be denied.

This is a time to be grateful: It would take me a day to list all the wonderful people who wanted to be close to me in this magical land of Australia. Grant Pitman and his family, the Consul General of Italy Adriano Tedde, Brad Butler and Jason Woodbridge, Joanne Hedt, the Italian community, the Rottnest Channel Swim Organization, the Beatty Park, the city of Perth, the Media, from newspapers to television.

I really can not find the words to describe their hospitality, their enthusiasm, sensitivity, the spirit they have showed me, filling my heart in a way that makes me say this has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I also want to thank those who have believed in me, and that I will never forget: my company, Selex Electronic Systems and the Circolo Canottieri Aniene.

And, finally, the wonderful people who are like brothers, friends and I don’t know what else, to me: Marialberto, Mirta, Alberto, Michael, Adelio, Alfonso, Andrea, Stefano and many others.

All the best
Salvatore Cimmino