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From June 25 to 27, 2026, Friuli Venezia Giulia took part in ExpoAID 2026 – “I, Person of Value,” the major national event dedicated to disability, inclusion, and the enhancement of people's skills, hosted at the Palacongressi in Rimini.
The event, promoted by the Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli, brought together associations, third sector entities, institutions, professionals, families, and people with disabilities from all over Italy. This year's edition recorded over 6,000 participants, with a large participation (over 1,800) of people with disabilities, 250 associations involved, 140 stands, over 50 seminars, and 50 hours of workshop activities.
For PromoTurismoFVG, participation in ExpoAID was an important opportunity to present the work that Friuli Venezia Giulia has been carrying out since 2015 on accessible tourism, and to meet associations, operators, families, and individuals interested in discovering the region with practical, up-to-date, and reliable information.
During the event, promotional materials dedicated to accessible tourism in Friuli Venezia Giulia were distributed. The brochures are also available online in PDF format on the FVG for all portal, in the section dedicated to downloadable materials, where it is possible to find useful guides and publications to organize a visit, a vacation, or a group activity in the region.
ExpoAID was also an opportunity to highlight some of the most significant experiences born in Friuli Venezia Giulia on the theme of inclusion. Among these, the participation of the University of Udine with ALA – Academy of Free Skills, a project that focuses on skills, pathways to autonomy, and the active participation of individuals.
Among the numerous realities and experiences of Friuli Venezia Giulia, there was also the Motor Therapy Day, a project that brings the world of motors into paths of participation, emotion, and inclusion. Hon. Massimiliano Panizzut, promoter of the initiative, explains: “With the Motor Therapy Day, we have seen people get on motorcycles, go-karts, and rally cars with trained operators. I remember a person who had never been in a car in 45 years and who finally got to take a ride. The point is precisely this: beyond therapies and hospitals, there are emotions that people must be able to experience.”
After the first edition organized in Pordenone last November, a next appointment is already scheduled for October 14 in Martignacco (UD).
At ExpoAID, the accessible heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia was also discussed. Anna Maria Viganò, representative of "Basilica for everyone," and Ornella Tortul, representing the Basilica of Aquileia, presented the initiatives developed to make the UNESCO site increasingly accessible and welcoming, including tools for visiting, inclusive pathways, and new projects related to work inclusion.
Friuli Venezia Giulia has also been present through other realities that brought concrete experiences of inclusion to Rimini. The Social Cooperative Arte e Libro was very active during the event: it managed a catering highly appreciated by the participants, participated in the evenings of “ExpoAID under the stars” at the Port of Rimini with its food truck, “Artù”, the gazebo with all the creations of the bookbinding and above all the team of Divergente Gourmet, helping to make the value of inclusive work visible also through food, the quality of the products, and hospitality.
La Legotecnica, a social cooperative from Udine, has instead created the small booklets distributed during the event: a simple yet significant detail, because even communication materials can tell a supply chain that is more attentive and consistent with the values of inclusion.
Finally — but the list of experiences would really be long — Elena Rocco from Radio Magica was also present, a very dynamic reality, born to make stories, books, and cultural content more accessible to children, young people, and families. Radio Magica produces audio, podcasts, video books in LIS, content in CAA symbols, and high readability texts, working with museums, territories, schools, publishing houses, and magazines.
Participation in ExpoAID 2026 has confirmed how important it is to tell the story of accessible tourism not just as a set of services, but as a network of people, skills, social enterprises, institutions, and territories. Friuli Venezia Giulia brought a concrete proposal to Rimini: accessible information, useful materials, cultural projects, inclusive experiences, and a territory that continues to invest to make travel simpler, more aware, and more open to all people.
Further information and useful links
Download the brochures of accessible tourism in Friuli Venezia Giulia - Brochures
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