Why is Greece so disabled unfriendly?

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Totally Blunt

It must be a regional/cultural thing, because Turkey is not disabled-friendly either.

Never stop demanding your rights!

asimenia

I agree - when my kids were babies - and I had to push a pram around - it drove me mad and all I could think of 'poor people in wheelchairs'.
Apart from this there is no help in Greece for any disability of any kind. When I was pregnant - I had a pact with hubby that if my children were born with any disability of any kind (I was an older mother , so there was more chance of a Down's syndrome or other) - I would immediately leave for UK - with or without him, my children's welfare and quality of life came first. Thankfully everything went well and I wasn't in a position to have to make this move - but knowing I could do that (as a British citizen) gave me peace of mind.

Î§ÏÎ¹ÏƒÏ„ÏŒÏ†Î¿ÏÎ¿Ï‚

Well, some parts of the U.S. (ahem...the Northeast...) are just as anti- the Disabled as Greece is. New York City is a horrible place to try and get around in if you're disabled - lack of curb cuts, deteriorating sidewalks, construction zones without an accessible route around them, non-compliant ramps, few places with accessible entrances, locked/blocked accessible entrances, etc.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has at the state level a department that writes and enforces requirements for accessibility throughout the Commonwealth. Let me tell you, I used to be one of the four people working in that department, and it's amazing the amount of discrimination and even hatred some people have towards the disabled.

In Greece, many people feel that if a person becomes disabled, well, it's unfortunate for that person, but that person needs to learn to live with the disability, and should not expect others to adjust for the sake of people with disabilities.

Because of the 2004 Olympic Games, the Athens metropolitan region has amped up its work on increasing accessibility. All, or at least most, metro stations have ramps and elevators; many intersections have curb cuts; newer buildings and facilities have what I would term semi-accessiblity. Obviously, all this is just a start, and there is still a long way to go.

The real question is how far the Greek authorities will go in their push for accessibility. The "problem" is a financial one: accessibility requires a lot of initial monetary investment, while the "return" in the investment only trickles in, very slowly. Ultimately from the financial point of view, creating accessible spaces invites people with disabilities to use those spaces, thereby increasing a potential user or customer base. Greece could reap a huge financial windfall if it were to become an accessible travel destination.

Vera

You are right.I really can't figure out why greek society is so back at that sector.

Vasiliki-Î’Î±ÏƒÎ¹Î»Î¹ÎºÎ®

yeah is not so friendly...
especially as far as concerned the allowances....
is way to back to this...
in other starts to have progress.like in many public buildings have been changed the elavators,in new students' rooms have also made it very helpfull to disabled...
but is still the begining
to the coutryside....no......s*cks,but I believe that happens everywhere........
Greece sometimes can hurt us a lot...

Archer1

Yes dear, yes a thousand times, it was a subject in many of my presentations in conferences but unfortunately the politicians, the mayors etc have no understanding at all! It's not enough to have a ramp in museum and other buildings, disabled individuals in Greece cannot take the bus, cannot move around on the pavements, cannot go for shopping, cannot do anything without help!!!! Yes it's a problem, a serious one!

Beatrix P

Greeks are not very advance in this type of matters unfortunately

ziggy

It is a reality that no Greek can deny...I think that every citizen in need is treated like a 2nd grade one... It's awful....

Elaine

You are completely right Serendipity... 100% right.

I think that maybe we haven't shouted enough about this problem.

dan g

This is true for most European countries and even in America where some places put on this 'friendly to disabled people' but behind closed doors they get abused. ITs a sad fact that the most weak of this world don't get treated correctly and are usually abused. :-(

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