Palermo disability forum urges action on costly ABA therapy and long waiting lists

An institutional meeting on disability was held at the Sala De Seta of the Cantieri Culturali at Zisa in Palermo, organized by the non‑profit association I Diritti dei Più Fragili APS. The association’s president, Giuseppe Adelfio, opened the session, stressing that disability issues are apolitical and a shared responsibility.

Regional assessor Nunzia Albano, Palermo’s social‑health assessor Mimma Calabrò, councilors Salvatore Imperiale and Giovanna Rappa, and health director Giuseppe Termini attended, along with representatives of the police‑state association SIAP, the Rotary Club of Palermo Libertà (president Loredana Mannina), and numerous NGOs and families. Participants highlighted the prohibitive cost of ABA therapy for autistic children and the excessive waiting lists in public facilities, noting that many families are forced into heavy debt. Despite unusually high temperatures, the meeting proceeded, underscoring broad collaborative support for vulnerable groups.

The forum called for concrete measures to improve access to therapies, reduce bureaucratic delays, and mobilize community resources to support people with disabilities across the metropolitan city and province.