Elimination of architectural barriers, the plan remains in the drawer: the betrayed legacy of Councillor Gianni Tuttolomondo

After the party, the saint is cheated. This is the saying, which, as is known, means that ingratitude and disinterest follow the obtaining of a favor or the achievement of a goal.

This is happening in Agrigento by the Municipal Administration on a very delicate issue such as the right for people with disabilities to fully live the city, public spaces, and even more the facilities of local entities, which has been “turning a blind eye” for years, failing to honor the memory of a former administrator who passed away at a young age.

We are talking about Gianni Tuttolomondo, former councilor of the Miccichè Administration until 2021, who died in 2023 due to the worsening of his health conditions that had long since reduced him to a wheelchair. As an administrator, he had the great merit of reopening the eyes of the Entity to the systematic violation of the rights of the disabled connected to the widespread presence of architectural barriers, to the extent that this issue was among his delegations. It is thanks to him that we owe the approval of the guidelines for the start of a participatory process aimed at mapping the existing architectural barriers and preparatory to the preparation of the Peba, the Plan for the elimination of these barriers.

After his death, the Municipality has “cheated” his memory by dedicating the multi-story parking lot on Via Empedocle to him and forgetting to carry on his battle.

This is stated today in a study by the Luca Coscioni Association: in the analysis on the state of progress of the Peba, it is explained that in Sicily no provincial capital has approved the plan with a municipal council resolution. No municipality is therefore in compliance with the regulations, including Agrigento, which has left Tuttolomondo's work closed in a drawer. There is still an online portal where users can submit reports, with 17 critical issues identified mainly in the center and in San Leone in public spaces and buildings such as offices and municipal villas. Reports that have remained unaddressed: although the delegation for the elimination of architectural barriers has passed to Councilor Gerlando Piparo, there are no public acts aimed at completing the Peba or eliminating the barriers.