Early Life and Education
I am Matteo Menozzi, 38, from Torrile in Parma, Italy. I have a visual impairment caused by a rare bilateral optic nerve condition, identified in 2000. Before then, I was often misunderstood and labeled as an uncooperative student.
I completed high school in 2006 despite bullying and limited support. Between 2006 and 2009, I studied Computer Engineering and Mathematics independently but faced significant institutional barriers.
Academic and Professional Development
I later earned a degree in International Relations and am completing a second degree in Journalism. Since 2019, I have undertaken over 2,000 hours of professional training in Big Data, AI, software development, PLC/HMI programming, legal informatics (Harvard edX), and payroll administration. I also volunteer with the Public Assistance service in Colorno, Parma, Italy, and engage in civic activism.
Disability Assessment and Institutional Challenges
My first formal disability assessment in 2010 was humiliating; I got my impairment mislabelled in ways that limited expectations for my future. Social services and employment agencies offered minimal opportunities and often made appointments hard to get. Efforts to advocate for myself were sometimes dismissed or framed as “publicity” issues rather than legitimate concerns.
I faced repeated discrimination in both education and the job market. During my studies, I was told I would never become a successful journalist. At employment offices, staff sometimes mocked me, and I encountered barriers to interviews and job opportunities. Again, repeated impairment mislabelling confused interpretation of my skills and determined how people were seeing me.
Navigating Work and Independent Living
Despite these obstacles, I persisted in studies and gained work experience, including a temporary journalism position in Bologna (2023–2025).
A formal life project in 2022, while presented as promoting independent living, largely involved segregated settings and rigid schedules. All proposed housing solutions were in structures with only people with disabilities, which conflicted with my desire for independent living, autonomy and privacy.
Identity, Rights, and Self-Determination
Labels and judgements about my actual abilities often limited my opportunities and created barriers to independence and self-determination. In 2024, I entrusted Enil Italia and Enil Europa to support my personal project and defend my rights.
My goal remains simple: to live independently, work according to my skills, and participate fully in society, recognized first and foremost as a person and not a label.
