countries - Greece

The information contained on this page was compiled in April 2009 by our country team.

Contact:
Eleni Strati, Ms. Georgia Fyka, Ms. Anna Evangelinou
DISABILITY NOW
3^rd Septemvriou 30, Thessaloniki 54636, Greece

Email: admin@disabled.gr
Web: www.disabled.gr 

The full text can be downloaded here.

The key national bodies with responsibility for disability law and policy implementation include:

The Greek Ministry of Development

Greece has signed the United Nations Convention but not the Optional Protocol.

Important national laws, policies and strategies concerning disabled people include:

Key features of the national system include (including adapted items from the MISSOC database December 2008):

Disability benefits

Data on population indicate that:

18.2% of the country's population has a health problem or a disability, of whom more than half are over 65 years old (National Statistical Service of Greece, Labour Force Survey 2002)

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT)

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development supports through its programmes, the research activities of both the country's scientific research institutes and those of its productive industry.

The national organisation representing disabled people at the European level (European Disability Forum) is:

National Confederation of Disabled People (ΕΣΑμεΑ), which represents more than 35 full member organisations. About 43% of the executive council of the Confederation are people with disabilities.

Useful sources of more detailed information about the situation of disabled people, and the policies and support available, include:

Official Guide for Citizen with Disability

This summary and more detailed country reports on selected themes are available on the ANED website.