From barriers to possibilities. Arturo Mariani and his talent

Born with congenital agenesis, he transformed his own experience into a journey of awareness-raising that encourages us to look first and foremost at people's skills

For years Arturo Mariani, a 32-year-old from Rome, wrote letters to his future self, imagining a life that seemed impossible. Today that life has become reality and has turned into a cultural challenge: moving away from the logic of absence, 'dis-ability', towards what is possible and positive, 'pro-ability', because true disability often arises not from the person but from the context surrounding them.

The darkness

From an early age, he lived with a bulky prosthesis that he never removed because he was ashamed of appearing different. 'I remember,' Arturo continues, 'that time at the swimming pool. I had taken off my prosthesis and a child, as soon as he saw me, said, "You disgust me." At primary school, my report card listed me as "not assessed" for physical education. These are experiences that leave deep marks. There were moments when I felt completely crushed. I felt the weight of the condition I had been born with, I suffered, I thought I could not make it, I could no longer see any light. The years between middle school and high school were the hardest. As I grew, the prosthesis had to be constantly readjusted and spent more time at the orthopaedic centre than anywhere else. It was during that period that, for the first time, on my first day of high school, I stood in front of many people without the prosthesis. To me, it felt as though I were standing there naked.'

A new beginning

It was a traumatic but decisive step. 'That prosthesis,' Arturo says, 'was not only physical, it was above all mental. It hid me from my fears, especially the fear of showing myself, the fear of being myself. For years I had been "the one without a leg" or "the disabled one", but I was the first to focus exclusively on what was missing.' At 18, one of the most important turning points in his life arrived: the Italian National Amputee Football Team. 'For me it was a crucial moment because I fulfilled the dream I had always considered impossible: playing football. That dream went back a long way. When I was a child, my father had turned the terrace at home into a small stadium. I also grew up with Roma and with that family atmosphere of watching matches together. The national team made me understand that what seemed unattainable could become real.'

Projects and culture

Writing came into his life at the same time. 'I needed it,' Arturo continues, 'to survive, to put my thoughts in order. I needed it to make sense of everything I had experienced.' Out of that need came his first book, Nato così, and the awareness that what he had lived through could be useful to someone else through meetings, testimonies in schools and opportunities for dialogue with thousands of people. Today there is much more discussion of inclusion and accessibility, but for Arturo the question of perception remains central. 'Words are never neutral, which is why I keep questioning the way we define people. I believe disability exists whenever a person is placed in circumstances that prevent them from fully expressing their possibilities. A mother with a pushchair facing an architectural barrier is experiencing a disabling situation, not because she has a personal limitation, but because the environment disables her. I suffered a great deal, yet today I can look back and even say thank you for those moments, because they are precisely what made me grow. We need to learn to see first what a person can do, and only then any difficulties they may have. I try to convey this message lightly. I constantly joke and make fun of my leg because I believe lightness brings people closer and makes it possible to address even the deepest issues without being overwhelmed by them.'

The dream that leads the way

'A great strength that has always stayed with me has been the ability to dream. I imagined a fulfilled version of myself, travelling the world, playing football, having a family. A happy version of myself, and I have achieved all of it.' Today Arturo turns his experience into concrete projects. He founded Roma Calcio Amputati, promotes inclusion through the ProAbile Academy and supports solidarity initiatives such as The Right Foot Project for persons with disabilities in Africa. This commitment fully reflects his idea of 'Pro-ability': valuing what each person can be and achieve. A new word for overcoming barriers and turning differences into resources. A word that does not deny difficulties, but shifts the focus towards people's possibilities and skills. 'It is not only about disability,' Arturo concludes. 'It concerns everyone, because each of us has to deal with limits, obstacles and fears. Difficulties exist, pain exists, but we are not defined by what we lack. We are defined by what we choose to do with what we have.'