ABOUT tHE
TEAM OF ALA
An alliance for social inclusion
Behind every major change there is always an encounter between different visions that choose to move forward together. The Academy of Free Abilities is the result of an extraordinary synergy that brings together institutions, the academic world, and the third sector.
It is not only a training project, but a collective and concrete response to a challenge of civilization: ensuring that a young person’s growth journey does not stop in the face of cognitive disability, but instead finds new spaces for expression, dignity, and competence. Through the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia, the scientific excellence of the University of Udine, and the creative energy of Fondazione Radio Magica ETS, ALA transforms an institutional commitment into a vibrant community where culture becomes a tool of democracy to reduce inequalities and achieve the benefits envisioned by disability reform.
Institutional Support: Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
The ALA project finds its roots and strength in the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia, in particular through the Regional Department for Health, Social Policies and Disability. This collaboration is not merely an administrative act, but the concrete implementation of LR 16/2022, which places social inclusion and cultural accessibility at the center of regional policies.
Thanks to the extraordinary funding provided under LR 7/2024, ALA is able to operate as a leading empowerment laboratory, transforming legislative principles into real-life pathways, education, and active participation for young people in the region.
The Scientific Heart: University of Udine
The University of Udine represents the scientific core of the Academy and the ideal setting for building a new context that acts as a “bridge” between secondary school and adult life for young people with cognitive disabilities.
Access to university classrooms and laboratories, as well as to the cafeteria and recreational spaces, stimulates curiosity, nurtures interests, and helps shape a model in which everyone benefits: professors, who refine new languages and practices for accessibility; other university students, who learn to reflect in concrete ways on society’s needs; and all of us, who—by rethinking rules and boundaries—can build a society capable of placing health and well-being at its center.
The Creative Soul: Fondazione Radio Magica ETS
Fondazione Radio Magica ETS is the operational and creative arm of ALA. Founded in 2012 from a university research project, Radio Magica has specialized in narrative-based methodologies to engage people emotionally and make culture more accessible through multimodality—that is, an approach that integrates different languages and tools to make learning and communication more accessible, effective, and inclusive.
It laid the foundations of ALA through action research that placed the needs and hopes of dozens of students at the end of upper secondary school at its center. Today, it manages relationships with students’ families, coordinates educators, identifies external experts, and expands the territorial network to build new synergies.