Breaking Barriers: Panini’s Path Towards an Inclusive Workplace

We are extremely proud to have received the PEF Award – Jury’s Special Mention in the category “For a Change of Perspective: See Me Through My Eyes,” granted to us by AIF (Associazione Italiana Formatori).
This recognition motivates us to continue the journey we began over a year ago with I Bambini delle Fate and the social cooperative f.i.ABA Torino — a path that has already become an integral part of our corporate identity.

The collaboration between Panini and I Bambini delle Fate was born out of a desire to pause, listen carefully to the needs of the community in which we operate, and give back a portion of the good fortune that, over our 80-year history, has enabled our company in Turin to grow worldwide.

I Bambini delle Fate is a social enterprise that, since 2005, has been providing financial support to social inclusion projects run by local partners and associations, benefiting families with autism and other disabilities.

Through this collaboration, our goal is to actively support the inclusion of children and young people with autism, promoted through the project “F.I.ABA UNA VITA DA SCRIVERE INSIEME” (“A LIFE TO WRITE TOGETHER”), locally managed by the social cooperative f.i.ABA Torino.

Together, we have built a corporate training program with a clear objective: to connect directly with children and young people with autism, raising our employees’ awareness of what it truly means to interact with people who perceive the world differently from us.
The ultimate aim is to break down barriers and prejudice, building tangible bridges towards a more inclusive professional future.

Throughout this journey, we have been supported by Donatella Coda Zabetta, regional coordinator for I Bambini delle Fate in Piedmont, and by Francesco Raineri, psychologist, psychotherapist and co-founder of the Social Cooperative Formazione e Intervento ABA – Torino, together with the experienced practitioners of the f.i.ABA cooperative, who work closely with these young people every day.

Following an initial information session in July 2024, we launched a series of monthly meetings starting in September, each addressing different topics to answer a question as simple as it is essential: “What does it really mean to be autistic?”
Because true inclusion also means deeply understanding the everyday challenges these young people face — at school and in daily life.

We took part in hands-on activities that allowed us to perceive the world through their eyes: sensory experiences linked to smell, touch and sound, helping us step outside our comfort zones and immerse ourselves in new contexts.
At the end of this first cycle of meetings, we organized an evening pizza event at our company headquarters, giving the young people an opportunity to see our labs and engage directly with our employees about the work we do.

Our long-term goal is clear: to build an environment ready to welcome, integrate and truly value young people with neurodivergence — first through school-to-work transition programs (PTCO) and later through stable employment within our organization.
We are committed to supporting them actively and to accompanying them towards a solid professional future — a future that we will write… together.

A heartfelt thank you goes to AIF for this important recognition and, of course, to Donatella Coda Zabetta, regional coordinator for I Bambini delle Fate, and to the entire team at the f.i.ABA Torino social cooperative for their outstanding work and the extraordinary dedication they demonstrate every day.