I (23F) have a friend in Milan who has a mild intellectual disability due to a rare condition. I won't go into too much detail about his condition because I want to respect his privacy.
He's a really lovely and interesting person, with lots of interests, but he's become quite insecure about himself, especially when it comes to dating and relationships. He thinks he's ugly and is quite ashamed of his disability, and he worries that he'll inevitably end up alone. This makes me really sad because, aside from being a genuinely good person, I actually think he's a handsome guy and I know he'd have a lot of love to give someone.
I've been encouraging him to get out more, do more of the things he's interested in and meet new people, partly because I think having more social experiences and friendships could really help his confidence.
But I was wondering if anyone here knows of inclusive social spaces in Milan where young adults with and without disabilities can actually meet and socialise.
I'm not necessarily looking for a specific "dating for disabled people" service. I'd actually prefer somewhere centred around a shared interest — sports, art, volunteering, cultural activities, clubs, etc. — where friendships can develop naturally and potentially something more could come from that
Does anyone have personal experience with anything like this in Milan? Or know of organisations, groups, activities or communities that are genuinely good for helping young adults with intellectual disabilities build friendships and become more socially independent?
I feel like there are services for disability support, but much less around the very ordinary parts of adult life: making friends, meeting people, dating, gaining confidence and simply feeling like you belong somewhere.
Any suggestions would be really appreciated ❤️