FCA is an official partner of the IPC Athletics European Championships

The partnership involving the Autonomy Programme was announced at the end of the "At school with a Paralympic champion" meeting, which was held in Turin, and is further evidence of FCA Group's ongoing commitment to supporting people with reduced mobility.

Students of the "Giulio" and "Regina Margherita" schools in Turin were treated to an audience with Carmen Acunto and Roberto La Barbera, two veterans of the Italian national Paralympics team, during the event "At school with a Paralympic champion". The initiative originated from Grosseto as part of the "A World of Athletics" promotional campaign to support the IPC Athletics European Championships, of which FCA is an official partner. The Championships will be held at Zecchini Stadium in Grosseto, in the Maremma region, from 10 to 16 June 2016.

The partnership between FCA and the European Championships involves the Autonomy Programme, the initiative which the Group has promoted since 1995 with the aim of developing individual and collective services and means of transport for people with reduced mobility. This commitment supports continuous product developments and facilitates disabled people's use of cars.

In detail, the Autonomy Programme will supply the IPC Athletics European Championships with four Fiat Ducatos and four Fiat Doblò models, including one with short wheelbase and three Maxi versions. The entire fleet is fitted with special equipment developed by market-leading vehicle conversion partners.

The first Ducato, converted by Handytech (Moncalvo, Asti), is equipped with rear lift and a side step to facilitate getting in and out. It contains four seats for disabled passengers and two wheelchair spaces. Also available is a Ducato Safety Bus converted by Olmedo (Reggio Emilia). The vehicle fully complies with European standards for transporting ambulatory passengers and non-ambulatory wheelchair passengers. It is provided with retracting rear platform and side step and can carry up to nine passengers. Rome-based company Guidosimplex modified two additional Fiat Ducatos to provide a rear platform, two seats for disabled passengers and four places for wheelchairs.

The same partner also converted the short-wheelbase Fiat Doblò, which is now equipped with a rear platform. The Doblò Combi Maxi Raised Roof converted by Focaccia (Cervia, Ravenna) fits a rear single arm platform and can carry five passengers plus one in a wheelchair. Finally, two Doblò Combi Maxi Runner 5+1 models, converted by Olmedo, have a low-height rear platform to assist access and can carry one passenger in a wheelchair and other five in the seats. This solution is perfect for private and professional use alike.

The "At school with a Paralympic champion" meeting came about through a collaboration with the Physical Education Office of Turin and was held at the lecture hall on Via Valperga Caluso. The many students who attended had the opportunity to find out about the sports and life stories of the two athletes from Piedmont, who recalled the thrills and successes of their long careers with the national team.

In particular, Roberto La Barbera is a Paralympic champion in athletics, where he competes in almost all disciplines. He holds both national and European records in the discus, pentathlon, long jump and multiple distances: 800 m, 400 m, 200 m, 100 m and 60 m. He is also a world silver medallist in the long jump and reigning European champion in the long jump and pentathlon. Fiat Autonomy is Roberto La Barbera's official sponsor and has selected him to be a spokesperson for its "Athletes" advertising campaign.