Councilor with Down syndrome elected to the association’s board of directors

(ANSA) – ROME, APRIL 15 – People with disabilities can and must have roles in the associations that represent them: proof of this is Michele Comai, 26 years old, just appointed councilor within the Trento section of Aipd – Italian Association of People with Down’s Disorders . A member of the association since 2003, Michele lives in Trento with his parents and two brothers and builds his independence every day through work and participation in association activities. “I work in a warehouse that supplies hospitals – he says – I like taking part in Aipd activities, they help me become independent. I am very happy with this role as a councillor, because it allows me to help people younger than me and help them. I would like to be proactive and also give some advice to the children’s parents”. “Last year, a delegation of people with Down syndrome presented a series of requests to the National Assembly, including this: ‘We want there to be a person with Down syndrome on the boards of directors of the sections and of the national Aipd.’ We are therefore grateful to Aipd Trentino – comments the national president of Aipd Gianfranco Salbini – for having followed up on this very important request. As I also wrote to Michele, congratulating him on the assignment, I am sure with his passion, his dedication and his vision will make a significant contribution to the association’s work in the area.” The president of Aipd Trentino, Annalice Colacicco underlines that “after a twenty-year journey in the Trentino area, this was now an essential action: the association is not ours, but mainly of people with Down syndrome, so it is right that they express themselves personally and that they are as aware and active as possible in the administration of Aipd. We believe that Michele’s election will also have a positive impact on the other young people in the association, calling them to awareness, planning and self-determination”. (HANDLE).