Measuring Perceptions of Respect for Disability Rights at the Local Level in Italy: A Preliminary Psychometric Validation of the Perceptions on the Implementation of the CRPD in muniCIpalities Questionnaire (PICI-Q)

Assessing municipal implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) requires instruments that capture the perspectives of those involved in or affected by local governance. Developed for this purpose, the PICI-Q was evaluated in this cross-sectional study among 400 Italian stakeholders. Participants were randomly divided into two subsamples (n = 200 each) for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Ordinal reliability and associations with external variables were also assessed. The findings yielded a provisional 19-item, three-factor solution comprising Institutional Support, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Protection from Discrimination. The correlated three-factor model was retained provisionally, although fit varied across indices and In-stitutional Support substantially overlapped with Accessibility and Inclusion. Internal consistency was good (ordinal alpha = .802–.898). Higher PICI-Q scores showed associa-tions with fewer depressive symptoms and better physical and mental health-related quality of life, with small correlations. Exploratory comparisons of observed scores in-dicated higher ratings among participants with administrative roles. Although these findings provide preliminary psychometric evidence regarding PICI-Q reliability, fac-torial structure, and selected aspects of construct validity in participating municipalities, further research should examine factor distinctiveness, temporal stability, responsiveness, measurement invariance, and cross-cultural validity before PICI-Q can be recommended for policy evaluation or longitudinal monitoring.