When diversity is a resource

During the sixties (60') and the seventies researcher and teachers focused on the definition of handicap. In the early 70's -an Italian psychiatrist- Basaglia wrote about the negative impact of capitalist society on people in his books "L'istituzione negata" and "La maggioranza deviante". In the capitalist society a small group of people produces and buys all goods and services, whether a vast majority of people, such as students, old people, children, disabled people, people with mental issues, does not take place into the productive process. Profess or Basaglia says to reduce the gap between people the society must be restructured only a society that is flexible and that takes a care of diversity can guarantee equality. It is necessary to focus on interaction between people rather than isolation. This new vision of diversity led to many National and International laws, and in education to what Dario lanes calls inclusive education. By the time- with the laws and pedagogical researches- disability has been protected and new processes of inclusion started. Disability tends to be misunderstood and considered the cause of isolation and exclusion, because of its effects on people: limits, difficulties, pains. Can the diversity itself help people with diversity? The experience and life example of people who overcame disability and have seen it as an opportunity, a chance to strive for more, can support and help other differently abled people? This contribution tries to answer to these questions reflecting on this through the presentation of same