«Progetto di Vita» and Universal Design for Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

«Progetto di Vita» (“PdV” Life Project) represents the crucial element to design and build the Quality of Life of persons with disabilities, in coherence with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In Italy, Law no. 112/16 identifies in the PdV the principle around which to build a convergence of intents and interests for the realisation of the «Dopo di Noi» (After Us) that can take place «durante Noi» (during Us) through the construction of empowerment paths towards autonomy in a perspective of prevention, gradualness, emancipation and accompaniment to detachment. In order to experience autonomy «durante Noi», preparing for the «Dopo di Noi», the living space, the surrounding environment and the community of reference represent fundamental functional and/or spatial environments. The aim of this article is to map and analyse the good practices that have emerged from the concrete application of the Law through the activation of housing welfare projects that represent innovative forms of living built around the PdV approach.