On 7 and 8 November 2024, a small delegation from the EBU Office (Lars BOSSELLMANN, Director and Valérie BERTRAND-VIVANCOS, Membership Officer) paid a very interesting visit to EBU Greek Member, the Panhellenic Association of the Blind (PAB) in its headquarters in central Athens where they met with: Dimitrios Sifakis (President), Theodora Fardela (General Secretary), Agathi Karra (Deputy Secretary General), Panagiotis Markostamos (Organisational Secretary), Vaso Nasoula (Staff), Vicky Thomopoulou (Staff) and Tonia Exarchou (Staff).
Through our discussions with Board members and Employees, we learnt about its history, challenges and achievements.
Founded in 1932, the Panhellenic Association of the Blind (PAB) has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for visually impaired individuals throughout Greece. With a membership of over 6,000 people, the association plays a vital role in advocating for the rights of the blind and partially sighted community and providing essential services to support their independence and social integration.
Core Mission and Services
PAB's mission encompasses a wide range of services, addressing critical areas such as employment, retirement issues, welfare benefits, education, accessibility, and the integration of new technologies. The association works in close cooperation with governmental ministries and various organisations to improve daily life for its members. To support these goals, PAB offers:
- Educational Resources: The Talking Digital Library, which includes over 11.000 book titles with historical, literary, children’s and foreign language content.
The association also offers lessons in Braille, not only for the visually impaired but also for sighted teachers, who teach visually impaired students in special schools parallel support and inclusion, to foster inclusivity and accessibility.
- Orientation, Mobility, and Daily Living Skills Training: Essential services like mobility instruction, orientation, and independent living skills training are offered to help visually impaired individuals navigate their environments with confidence. However, there remains a critical shortage of mobility instructors, with only seven in the entire country, highlighting a key challenge for PAB's members.
- Technical Assistance: PAB provides exhibition of technical aids with products that play an important role in development and daily life, such as canes, talking body scales, talking thermometers, etc.
PAB has also equipped technology laboratory with computers and tablets, where classes are delivered to members.
Also, the Social Service receives daily requests from members to be processed with public services.
The association also maintains close ties with the Greek Guide Dogs Association, further supporting the mobility and independence of visually impaired individuals.
Advocacy for Employment and Social Welfare
Employment remains a significant challenge for blind and visually impaired people in Greece, with high unemployment rates in the community. PAB has been proactive in this space, pushing for inclusive employment policies and working with the National Confederation of Disabled Persons to secure job opportunities. For instance, the association advocates for a national quota mandating 12% of public sector positions for people with disabilities. Although a similar law for the private sector has existed since 1998, enforcement remains weak, as many employers fail to comply.
Beyond this, PAB is working with ministries to expand opportunities in fields like law, social work, and economic studies, encouraging a shift beyond traditional roles like telephone operations. The younger generation of visually impaired individuals is also accessing higher education, thanks in part to PAB’s efforts to increase access to e-books and other educational resources.
Financial Support and Accessibility Challenges
Financial allowances for visually impaired individuals vary, with unemployed persons receiving €750 monthly and retirees or employed members receiving €390, alongside free transportation. Those with disabilities rated at 80% or higher are eligible for additional allowances, tax exemptions, and discounts on city and intercity transport. However, privatised energy services and inconsistent benefits continue to strain finances for the visually impaired community, especially during times of economic crisis.
Accessibility, especially in Athens, remains challenging due to limited infrastructure. Transportation issues—such as unreliable audio signals on buses and a lack of adequate support at train stations—further complicate daily mobility. Nonetheless, PAB members continue to advocate tirelessly for better infrastructure and more accessible city planning.
Expanding Horizons through Education and International Cooperation
PAB strongly believes in the importance of professional training and education. The organisation took part in the Horizon Europe project in the 1990s, sending trainees to Denmark to learn advanced mobility and orientation skills. However, despite this early success, Greece has not yet established a university program to train mobility instructors, creating a continued gap in resources for the community. One of PAB’s key goals is to support the establishment of a program for Orientation, Mobility, and Daily Living Skills instruction.
On the international front, PAB remains active in the European Blind Union and the World Blind Union (WBU). It is also part of the Balkan committee, although financial limitations restrict in-person involvement. Through these collaborations, PAB works to amplify Greece’s voice and learn from global best practices in advocating for visually impaired people.
Funding and Organisational Structure
PAB receives government subsidies and is partially supported by private television advertisements. PAB’s Board, operates on a volunteer basis, without salary. PAB also maintains nine regional offices across Greece, in cities like Thessaloniki, Kavala, Ioannina, Patras, Kalamata, Nauplio, Crete, Xanthi, Trikala, ensuring that its services are accessible nationwide.
Visit to the Tactual Museum at the Lighthouse for the Blind
On the second day of our visit, our Greek hosts invited us to explore the Tactual Museum at the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece in the Kallithea, district of Athens., with the valuable help of the guides Marieta Lappa and Kalliopi Gika. An opportunity to immerse oneself in the museum’s tactual (tactile) collections. Unlike traditional museums, this unique institution encourages visitors—whether sighted or visually impaired—to engage with art and cultural artifacts through touch, making it one of only five museums of its kind worldwide.
Founded in 1946, the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece is much more than just a museum. As a non-profit association with a mission rooted in social care and support for visually impaired individuals, it operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and is supported by the Greek state. Its aim is to foster the full integration of visually impaired individuals into society, providing them with professional training, daily life support, and a strong foundation for personal growth. Over the years, the association has expanded its offerings to include everything from social services to professional workshops, continually advancing the tools and technology available to its beneficiaries.
As we wandered through the Tactual Museum, Lars was able to touch artifacts from various periods of Greek history, each piece telling its own story through texture and form. From the elegance of the Classical period to the intricate designs of ancient Greek reliefs, the exhibits brought the past to life in a truly tactile way.
The Lighthouse for the Blind also houses a Braille library, a talking books library, and specialised workshops where blind artisans create products such as brooms, brushes, and linens. These production units, along with their metal processing facility, provide both meaningful work and a sense of pride for over 2,000 beneficiaries in Greece, Cyprus, and beyond each year.
We learned that the Lighthouse for the Blind is also actively involved in public education, working to change perceptions about vision loss and promote the employment of blind workers. Through partnerships with organisations like “Greek Guide Dogs” and as a member of the World Blind Union, the association advocates for the rights of visually impaired people and engages with global developments in support and accessibility.
In turn, our delegation took some time to explain the new EBU operational structures. We encourage our Greek members to take part in activities meant to implement the EBU quadrennial strategic plan, by nominating relevant experts and volunteers accordingly, bearing in mind financial and linguistic capacity.
Conclusion
As our visit came to a close, we left with a deep appreciation for the Panhellenic Association of the Blind (PAB) and the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece. Both organisations stand as pillars of support, resilience, and advocacy, striving tirelessly to promote independence, accessibility, and equal rights for Greece's visually impaired community despite economic and structural challenges. From the inspiring Tactual Museum to the range of support services, their work highlights a dedicated model of inclusivity.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our hosts, not only for sharing insight into their work but also for their warm hospitality and the delightful experience of a traditional Greek meal. We wish them strength and success in their dedication to fostering a brighter, more inclusive future for the blind and partially sighted community in Greece.
Links
P.A.B. website (in Greek)
P.A.B. Facebook page (in Greek)