Individuals with Disabilities
Some 37 million European Union citizens, or 10% of the population, are disabled.
Greece is home to around 1 million disabled persons. As an official census has not been carried out, this estimate is based on figures provided by the World Health Organisation and state agencies. The majority of disabled persons have a mental disability.
A significant proportion (35%) of the population resides in Attica. The figure increases to 50% if one takes into account Attica's hospitality and care facilities for disabled persons. The majority reside in major cities, where they have access to special schools (preschools and state schools), preparatory centres, workshops, social services, welfare agencies, medical and educational services, hospitals, etc.
Up until recently, many parts of the city of Athens were inhospitable even for able-bodied pedestrians, let alone individuals with disabilities. The creation of disabled-accessible infrastructure, particularly in a 3,500-year-old city like Athens, many of whose buildings are aged, pavements are narrow and town plan proves problematic in many areas, is no easy task. The City of Athens, for its part, has carried out significant work in this area. In recent years Athens acquired new, non-slip pavements, grooved walkways for the sight-impaired and wheelchair access ramps. Also, the country's first playground for children with disabilities, featuring specially-adapted equipment, operates at Akadimia Platonos.
Apart from infrastructure works, it is equally important that we all become conscious of the day-to-day mobility problems faced by disabled persons in the city. They experience difficulties on the streets and pavements but also in buildings, businesses, stores and in public places.
The Citizens Helpline "1595" and the City's seven Citizen Service Centres, which are disabled-accessible, strive to minimise the effort and legwork required to carry out transactions with municipal services, thereby improving the quality of life for disabled persons.
