An important meeting was held today at the Maximos Palace, where the prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed representatives of the disability community. At the center of the discussion was found the course of implementation of the program ‘Accessibility at home’an initiative aimed at supporting people with disabilities in their daily lives.
Government sources say that during the meeting, the prime minister noted that the program budget would be reinforced by national resources of 10m euros, reaching 34 million to serve more citizens, given that only the first 24 hours after The relevant platform was put into operation (https://prosvasimotita.minscfa.gov.gr/), last week, approximately 2,500 applications were submitted, which correspond to almost all of the initial resources available.
During the presentation of the program, made by the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michaelidou, it was noted that the projects that can be funded were selected after a dialogue with disability community organizations to have the greatest possible impact on the daily lives of people with disabilities. In this context, “home accessibility” covers work on main and country houses, both privately owned and rented, public spaces of apartment buildings and workplaces.
“Our home is our refuge. Especially for our fellow citizens who have a disability, the ability to be able to move comfortably inside their home, without feeling that they are making discounts or concessions from what they would expect is extremely important. And I am glad we are able to come as a state by utilizing European and national resources to meet this important need, “the prime minister said, according to government sources.
“The first reason for the beneficiaries immediately to help us to specialize the design of the program, because only you can know the particularity of each case,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis added.
Eligible accessibility interventions are both due to kinetic disability, such as the construction or modification of ramps, the placement of a lift or a special lift, the reconstruction of a wheelchair use and the adaptation of indoor spaces, as well as the interventions of sensory disability (eg vision) Hearing or sensory guidance systems and digital auxiliaries (speaking devices, screens with special features). For motor disability interventions, the amount of the subsidy is up to 12,000 euros and for sensory disability interventions to up to 5,000 euros. In the event of a combination of interventions, the amount of the subsidy is increased to up to € 14,500. 50% of the grant is advanced with the approval of the application. The repayment is made after a certificate of completion of the projects. Beneficiaries of the program are people with a disability rate of 67% or more and individual income of up to 60,000 euros.
Representatives of disability organizations welcomed the program, stressing that they are satisfying a chronic request.
“It’s a program we’ve been asking for for years, and as an ESMA, a wheelchair, and our clubs and all in our conversations. It is very important because our disability is determined by accessibility, “said Korina Theodorakakis, secretary of the National Federation of Kinetic Disabled (EOKA). “It is an innovative action and we have to say it, it has never happened,” he added.
“The cooperation with the National Confederation was excellent and productive, after all, with applications in such a short time it is self -evident that its success is important,” Vasilis Koutsianos, Secretary General of the National Confederation of People with Disabilities (ESA) said. “The National Confederation, and with its bodies, has been claiming this program since 2015, Mr President. Therefore, it is very important that it is implemented, albeit with delay, and we have to be fair, to credit it to you, because it is your own effort, “he continued.
The ease of using the platform was highlighted by Christos Koromilas from the Board of Directors. of the “Blind Lighthouse”: “It’s the only program I managed to execute on my own from my phone. It was so easy, three steps, all pre -paid and all ready. “
His satisfaction with the program was also expressed by the Vice President of the Union of Rare Patients of Greece, Dimitris Athanasiou. “We didn’t believe it when we were informed,” he said characteristically and stressed the importance of prevention. “Disability for us is a path: prevention, early diagnosis and dealing with these measures. We believe that measures will come in the field of prevention, “he said.
The “home accessibility” program is part of a wide network of actions for equal access to people with disabilities in the labor market and society. During the meeting, inter alia, special reference was made to the initiative for subsidized replacement of conventional wheelchairs. It was also emphasized that interventions in public schools, under the Marietta Giannakou program, necessarily include the installation of access infrastructure.
Mr. Mitsotakis: A program for you, with you – we don’t stop there
At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister said:
Thank you again for your presence, for your kind words and let me briefly four observations and a plea. First of all, first observation: Since 2019 our government has sought, through a central coordination by the Maximus Palace, to implement a comprehensive – for the first time I think in the country’s history – strategy to address the issues of people with disabilities. And I think we have many positive examples of successful initiatives, designed with your own involvement – and I would like to thank you for it – and implemented by different ministries, under the central coordination of the Ministers in its already burdensome responsibilities.
And of course, you also mentioned some of the relatively recent actions, which are also priority points for us. The irreversible diseases were a Greek absurdity of the disability certification system, and I think we have made significant steps to correct it. I always prefer to be, I would say, more bold, and let’s be open to us, rather than the opposite. Because imposing someone on the suffering of having to certify an irreversible disability, an irreversible disease, is the definition of absurdity and I would say the definition of contempt. It is the opposition, the absolute opposite concept of empathy to which you have mentioned, which must govern all our strategies. The same goes for the initiatives the recent ones we took for our fellow citizens with deafness, hearing problems, the interventions we have made about the accessibility of the KEPA. I recently visited the space we have in Galatsi. I think we have made a significant progress, however, many more have to be done. I will then come to this.
The second note is that this program, which we are talking about today, was funded by the 24 million recovery and resilience fund and is yet another tangible example of how European resources can eventually come up with actions, which are truly beneficial, I would say savings for our fellow citizens. The program is 24 million euros and we will add another 10 million euros from national resources so that we can cover even more of our fellow citizens, who have already applied for the day the platform has opened.
Third Note: Your words are the best proof of how we can design a program for you, with you. That is to say, the first beneficiaries have the first reason to help us specialize the design of the program, because only you can know the particularity of each case. And why do I attach so much importance to this program? Because our home is our refuge. Especially for our fellow citizens who have a disability, the ability to be able to move comfortably inside their home, without feeling that they are making discounts or concessions from what they would expect is extremely important. And I am glad to be able to come as a state by utilizing European and national resources to meet this important need. Again I thank ESAMA, because we have developed a truly honest and constructive dialogue and you can direct us, with, I would say, contemporary realism to what we can do so that we can help all our fellow citizens with disabilities.
Fourth labeling: Obviously we don’t stop there. We have a number of new actions that we are still launching. I am particularly interested in trolleys, because I understand in particular that for a fellow citizen with motor disabilities the wheelchair is their door, it is essentially the tool needed to be able to practice not only accessibility but also active participation in economic, social life, autonomous movement. And indeed, having seen the progress of technology and watching at the same time many of the trolleys that still use fellow citizens with disabilities, yes, I believe we can do something better and more through EOPYY to financially support our fellow citizens in gaining more modern carriage.
And now my request: Because many of the motor disabilities are associated with accidents unfortunately, traffic accidents as a rule, we would like to participate in this great effort that we are making through the new road traffic code to share your stories so that we can avoid at least a new one, Excitement of youth do not realize that their instant choice can lead them to a wheelchair for a lifetime. And I think your participation in such an attempt to raise public opinion, especially the younger generation, would be very important, because you will largely transfer your own personal experiences.
So let me stop here. Thank you again for your presence. To express my wish, not to say my certainty, that the program will be implemented just as we have planned. There will always be little difficulties, but here we are to deal with them with joy within the timetables that have been set to be able to visit our first fellow citizens who have installed infrastructure in their homes that will make their access to their home more simpler and easier.
The Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michaelidou said: “Accessibility is not a luxury, it is a right. For the first time, with the “Home Accessibility” program, we provide immediate funding to citizens with disabilities to shape their home or workplace according to their own needs. Great participation in the platform https://prosvasimotita.minscfa.gov.gr/ From the very first days it shows the great success of the program on the one hand and its necessity. Within five days more than 4,800 applications were submitted. That is why, by the decision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the program budget is immediately strengthened with an additional 10 million euros to support even more of our fellow citizens with disabilities. “
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State Akis Skertsos.