Italy's cultural sector still largely inaccessible to disabled people

Cultural institutions across Italy continue to be largely unwelcoming to individuals with disabilities, despite commitments from the EU. According to data from Eurostat and Istat, there are 42 million disabled individuals in Europe, representing 12.8% of the total population. Alarmingly, 87% of cultural venues lack disabled representation in their management, and 52.4% have poor awareness of disabled artists. Attendance at cultural events is only 9.3% among disabled Italians, in contrast to 30.8% for those without disabilities. The Europe Beyond Access initiative (2018-2023) and its Italian collaborator Oriente Occidente hosted Presenti Accessibili in Milan in April 2022. Notable accessibility projects include Museo Tattile Statale Omero and Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Troy Kotsur received an Oscar for 'CODA' (2022), and the Affido Culturale project facilitates cultural experiences for underprivileged children in four cities.