Cooperà bar opened in the Dell'Aquila - Staffa institute in Trinitapoli, in the north of Bari. Bar has special bartenders: students with disabilities like Domenico, 19 years old, and a great desire to learn.
"I chose the name of the bar which is called Cooperà which means to cooperate and do things together", says the 19-year-old with autism spectrum disorders. "The term inclusion is not just a beautiful word but it becomes something that is real", adds Angela Landriscina, support teacher in the school and president of the Coopererà association. "Seeing our children here reassures us because they have an important opportunity: to learn and integrate", adds Antonio, Alessandro's father, autistic student and bartender, was also excited. The bar was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and reopened today "because our school tries to transform everything we do into something useful for the students", says head teacher Ruggiero Isernia.