From Cagliari to Galicia to participate in an inclusive Camino. Over 115 kilometers covered in seven days along the final stretch of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Ten visually impaired pilgrims departed from the Sardinian capital with their companions. They returned to Sardinia yesterday, still thrilled by an immersive experience that combines physical activity, personal independence, social inclusion, and human growth .
Leading the group was Alessandro Casuccio, a professional coach, and alongside him was an environmental hiking guide and rescuer for the Italian Red Cross.
"The Camino is a journey of discovery, personal growth, autonomy, and sharing." With these words, Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli applauds the initiative promoted by Ierfop. The event, developed within the "Disability, Education, Training, and Integration" project, as the organizers explain, "represents one of the most significant collective experiences of its kind in recent years in Italy and, in terms of its size and organizational structure, also in the European panorama."
"The goal," observes Ierfop President Roberto Pili , "is to enable visually impaired people to face the challenge of engaging with themselves, engaging with group dynamics through awareness of their own strengths, abilities, and emotions, thus gaining greater self-esteem and autonomy."
Behind the initiative's success was extensive preparation. "Ierfop chose to take full responsibility," emphasizes training director Bachisio Zolo . "We wanted participants to undertake the Camino after adequate psychophysical training , because inclusion can't be improvised: it's planned, prepared, and supported with seriousness. Furthermore, each blind person was assigned a dedicated companion, ensuring safety, trust, and a connection along every stage of the journey."
(Unioneonline/AD)
