The Acropolis of Athens accessible to visually impaired visitors - Greece

In November 2022, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports launched a project to make the Acropolis monument in Athens accessible to blind and partially sighted visitors. This initiative was a collaboration between the Ministry, the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities, and the Lighthouse of the Blind of Greece, with the financial support of the Onassis Foundation.

The aim of the project was to enhance the overall planning of the visit and make the Acropolis monument accessible to all. Thus, as part of the project, a special tactile route with twelve visit stops and four information stations was created. At this route, the following special designed tools and tactile aids are available:

• A mobile application for Android and iOS for helping with navigation to the monuments of the area. The application is available for download at the official website of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens. Information leaflets in Braille and enlarged letters in six languages (Greek, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) from the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens and the Acropolis Restoration Service. 
• An accessibility Guide for the blind and partially sighted visitors for the archaeological site of the Acropolis. The Guide is available both in Braille and enlarged letters in the 6 languages mentioned above. 
• A tactile plan of the archaeological site of the Acropolis with notation in Greek and English Braille.
•  A tactile route sign of the archeological site of the Acropolis with notation in Greek and English Braille. 
• A tactile model of the archeological site of the Acropolis, specifically designed for blind and partially sighted visitors, with notation in Greek and English Braille. 
• Two signs with archaeological-historical information about the Acropolis in Braille, in Greek and English.
• Mock-up replicas of columns of the three styles of ancient architecture (the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles).

Moreover, in the framework of this initiative, the staff members of the site were trained on how to provide assistance to visitors during their visit to Acropolis.

More about how did the Acropolis become accessible to blind and partially sighted visitors.

Accessibility of Visually Impaired Visitors to the Archaeological Site of the Acropolis” Project.

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