Greece Introduces ‘Eumaeus’ to Boost Accessibility at Cultural Sites for Visitors with Limited Mobility

Photo source: Ministry of Culture

The Greek Ministry of Culture is working to ensure unhindered access and participation in cultural activities for individuals with disabilities.

On Thursday, the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities (ESAmeA) for a project named “Eumaeus”. The initiative aims to enhance accessibility across Greece’s cultural sites and is titled “Accessibility Conditions of Cultural Sites and Development of a Digital Platform for Visitors with Limited Mobility”. The digital platform will be known as “Eumaeus”.

The “Eumaeus” project will document accessibility conditions at cultural locations including archaeological sites, monuments, museums, and historical buildings. The goal is to improve these sites and provide comprehensive information to better serve all visitors, with a particular focus on those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and elderly individuals.

Funded by the ministry through the European Recovery Fund, the project will be executed by ESAmeA.

Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni emphasized that ensuring equal access to public life for disabled individuals is a constitutional obligation of the democratic state, highlighting the ministry’s ongoing efforts over the past five years to improve accessibility at sites under its jurisdiction.

Mendoni emphasized that through “Eumaeus”, people with disabilities will have real-time access to information about the accessibility of cultural sites across Greece. The project aims to ensure that physical limitations are no longer a barrier to equal access to cultural experiences, aesthetic enjoyment, and knowledge.

According to a Ministry announcement, the “Eumaeus” project will include:

– Development of a user-friendly system for registering and assessing access to cultural sites.
– Creation of a digital platform to collect and update site accessibility information, with real-time updates, integrated into the central “Eumaeus” platform.
– Recruitment and training of accessibility inspectors to conduct on-site evaluations.
– Conducting physical access audits at a minimum of 100 cultural sites throughout Greece, with data recorded on the “Eumaeus” platform.
– Development of a bilingual digital portal (in Greek and English, with potential for additional languages) providing detailed information on accessible sites and their usability.

“The Ministry of Culture, as part of the National Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities, is committed to creating infrastructure that ensures access to our archaeological sites, monuments, museums, and other cultural facilities for individuals with disabilities,” Mendoni stated.