The return journey from the holidays in Sardinia to the airport of Capodichino of Naples has turned into a nightmare for a young disabled journalist Dario Ricciardi.
“A kind and professional hostess accompanied me along the airport routes, up to the boarding gate, where she entrusted me to other colleagues of hers, equally polite and gentlemanly, who left nothing to chance. The chair that is supposed to take me to my seat on the plane is equipped with every necessary device: seat belt, footrest, headrest, armrests. You really can't ask for more or better. The flight is comfortable and convenient, but, once you arrive in Naples, the music changes. "- says Ricciardi himself through his Instagram profile –
“A disaster, I don't know if I'm in a zoo or an airport. To welcome me, without even saying hello, there were howls comparable to those of monkeys. The first cavernous and annoying scream was this: ” Oè Cì, oè Cì (Ciro) t'aggia ritt e piglià ò guaglione”. Another monkey howl: “Com ò piglio? pe man o pi pier?” (How do I take it? By the hands or by the feet?). From this push and pull something like nine and a half weeks comes out: in trying to get up I am stripped, trousers down and shirt lifted, and thrown onto the chair with a violence never seen before.
Chair? Maybe yes, but certainly not suitable for transporting a disabled person: the seat belt was literally invented with what in Neapolitan is commonly called "ò sparatrapp". A bit of thin ribbon knotted in any old way, as you can see in the photo; not even a shadow of the footrest or headrest. I don't know how I am carried out of the aircraft while I see the worried looks of my parents and the perplexed ones of the flight personnel".
“First of all, we would like to express our solidarity with Ricciardi, who has long been a symbol in Torre Annunziata for the fight for the rights of disabled people, rights that evidently are not yet recognized in our territory. The architectural barriers, still too numerous, and the lack of sensitivity and respect for disabled people are a sign of cultural, mental and social backwardness that must be eradicated.
We have sent a note to the management of Capodichino airport to ask first of all to publicly apologize to Ricciardi and to plan a plan to adapt the structures, equipment and staff to be able to welcome and manage disabled travelers with dignity.” – this is how the Regional Councillor of Europa Verde expressed himself Francesco Emilio Borrelli.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to