The President of SYRIZA held a meeting with the Panhellenic Association of Paralysis of the Lower Limbs, which represents disabled people with severe disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Alexis Tsipras.

In a conversation with members of the association, the president of SYRIZA-PS presented the main directions of the party’s plan to address the problems of the disabled. “The most important thing is to see what we can do for the lives of all people, without leaving anyone out of sight, from our point of view,” he said.

Before discussing their concerns, Mr. Tsipras met with them in the square, seeing for himself the accessibility difficulties they face even when walking, helping them in some cases to pass some points.

“Our goal was for me to realize and understand what it can mean for a fellow citizen with a disability to want to have what everyone can have, which is to leave the house and go for coffee. This self-evident thing cannot be a fellow citizen with a disability (…) we have built our society and our lives without regard for the fact that there are some of our fellow citizens who cannot have access to these daily functions.”

He noted that planning in cities and towns does not include people with disabilities, and this is where one should start when talking about a just society. “A just society that includes everyone means that everyone has access to the self-evident,” he stressed.

Mr. Tsipras mentioned that the cost of living for a compatriot with a disability is many times higher than the cost of living for any other citizen, benefits are very low compared to what happens in the rest of Europe and job opportunities are very limited. To which he said that, according to ELSTAT, we have 80%-85% unemployment among people with disabilities – “terrible when you think about it,” he commented.

In addition, he stressed that the issue of examination and diagnosis is huge, he spoke of the “inhuman bureaucracy” in these centers, referring to the criteria that are introduced in such a way as to “cut off the possibility of people receiving benefits.”

Speaking about the SYRIZA program, Mr. Tsipras spoke about 15% hiring recovery through ASEP – “which was introduced by SYRIZA and was canceled” – and a special focus on OAED training programs for people with disabilities. He noted that the most important thing is to enable a citizen with a disability to equally integrate into life and social fabric, and this, above all, to be able to work. In addition, the SYRIZA plan calls for a 20% increase in disability benefits — “it doesn’t solve the problem, but it’s a breath of fresh air,” he said, as well as modernizing and staffing disability certifiers. comprehensive reform of the system of diagnostics and certification.

It also provides for the possibility of a personal assistant for 70,000 beneficiaries, “because there are disabled fellow citizens for whom it is absolutely essential that they can survive with dignity.”

Mr. Tsipras also mentioned that SYRIZA has started hiring teachers in special schools to provide special care for children with disabilities. On the issue of accessibility, Alexis Tsipras commented: “We have all walked together and seen that it is impossible to have access to the simplest and most obvious.”

He emphasized that the SYRIZA plan initially provides for Pilot program of 20 municipalities for accessible cities and districts. “This does not solve the problem, but it is a signal and pressure on all municipalities to do the same,” he added, noting – from the point of view of the state – the possibility of making all public services fully accessible in three years. to the disabled.

Athens is the most hostile city in terms of accessibility, representatives of the Panhellenic Paraplegia Association said as they told the President of SYRIZA about their day-to-day experiences, from how difficult it is to get on the bus to the difficulties they face when boarding the service. or even in hospitals where the appropriate infrastructure does not exist or is not used for this purpose.

“We feel the tail of society at all levels”, “it is important to understand that disability is not a consequence of damage to our body, but a social construct, that is, restrictions, obstacles, exceptions,” they noted, emphasizing also the importance of including the problem of disability in primary education but also the importance of a personal assistant.

They indicated that they felt they were “invisible citizens” and Mr. Tsipras stated that a “culture” has developed in which persons with disabilities are invisible, and that a different perception is required from the state and, on the other hand, a different culture in society. During the meeting, with a symbolic gesture, the player of the Atlas wheelchair basketball team, which won the corresponding cup the day before yesterday, presented Alexis Tsipras with a medal for the victory of his team.