The nine days of Padua SensoriAbile, which from May 10 to 18 enlivened numerous places in the City of the Saint with meetings, shows, exhibitions, sports demonstrations and much more in the name of multisensoriality, were experienced in an atmosphere of celebration, awareness and welcome, to promote encounters between people, including those with visual impairment, and to encourage inclusion.
The idea for the event was born more than a year ago on the back of the experience of the experimental project “SensoriAbile anche io,” shared and implemented, like the Days themselves, between the Robert Hollman Foundation, the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Padua, the City of Padua, the University of Padua and Aniomap.
What made it all possible was the generous cooperation and commitment of 25 organizations from Padua and beyond who believed in the challenge to experience and rediscover the importance of one’s senses-even those often taken most for granted-and to deepen one’s knowledge of and relationship with others, toward a greater awareness of the daily challenges faced by people with disabilities, especially those with visual impairment.
Padua SensoriAbile Days put together more than 50 events involving hundreds of participants of all ages, with and without visual impairment, who filled the Verdi Theater, museums, libraries, sports venues (such as those of CUS Padua), public and private spaces…
City schools also opened their doors or went for sensory experiences such as, for example, the proposals of Comini Fencing Academy, Esapolis, Unipd Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, Amedeo Duca d’Aosta High School of Human Sciences, Lucia Guderzo Foundation…
During the week, there were also a few sell-outs in the citizens’ program, such as Marta Telatin’s blind dinners, the Ukulele Lovers’ blind concert at the Sunflower Field, and the afternoon of free vision screenings for children and youth by the Red Cross of Padua.
The event reached its apex on Saturday, May 17, at the San Gaetano Cultural Center, where citizens and more than 300 international participants of the 10th ICEVI-Europe Conference (which took place in Padua from May 15 to 17 on the topic of inclusion of children and young adults with visual impairment) were able to meet with many of the entities that have joined the Padua SensoriAbile program. In the indoor Agora were, in fact, the Civic Libraries of the City of Padua with many tactile and inclusive books, the association Real Eyes Sport, the University Center for Museums of Unipd, the Museum of the History of Medicine of Padua, the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Galileo Galilei” with the popular and inclusive project “Stars on Earth,” the Scuola Triveneta Cani Guida with their puppies in training and some dogs already in service, and the association Fiori Blu.
On the balconies one could admire, touch and feel the multisensory and inclusive exhibition “Stories on Fingers. Trees,” which the National Federation of Pro-Blind Institutions brought to Padua for the first time, while, in the Aquarium Space on the ground floor, there was a chance for multisensory experiences thanks to Mondo Snoezelen with a vibrating chair, lights, bubbles and ball pools.
On the afternoon of Saturday 17, the new inclusive visit “The Garden in All Senses” was held at the Botanical Garden, while at the Plebiscito Stadium thanks to Rovigo Baseball and Softball, Padua Baseball and Softball and Fibs the inclusive baseball game for the blind of the A league Bologna-Milan took the field, which ended 10-0 for Bologna, one of the strongest teams in Italy and first in the standings, ready for the Italian Cup in the summer and made up of several players from the Italian national team, in preparation for the European Championships.
LE REALTÀ INVOLVED
University of Padua, Accademia Comini Scherma, Biblioteche Civiche Padova, Campo dei Girasoli, CAM – Centro di Ateneo per i Musei, Italian Red Cross Committee of Padua, CUS – Centro Universitario Sportivo Padova, Liceo Duca D’Aosta, Esapolis Interactive Museum of Insects, National Federation of Institutions Pro Blech, Lucia Guderzo Foundation, FIBS – Italian Federation of Baseball Softball, Marta Telatin, Mondo Snoezelen, Musme – Museum of the History of Medicine in Padua, Padua Baseball and Softball, Real Eyes Sport, Rovigo Baseball and Softball, Scuola Triveneta Cani Guida, TSV – Teatro Stabile Veneto, Ukulele Lovers.
SUPPORTERS.
The Days were made possible thanks to the Cariparo Foundation, Italian Federation of Pro Blind Institutions, Irsap Foundation, Lifield Venture Builder, Rotary Club Serenissima, Not Only Furniture and Sacred Heart Optics, and the willingness of Padua Tennis Club, Cantine Silvestri, Emiliano Fini Viticoltore, Apartments Padova, and Occhi dei bimbi. Mediapartners Radio Padova and Il Mattino di Padova.
The Days enjoyed the sponsorship of thePadua Hospital Authority,Ulss 6 Euganea, CIP Italian Paralympic Committee of the Veneto Region.
INFORMATION
www.padovasensoriabile.it and FB and Instagram pages “SensoriAbile”
