The street action “Wheel Around the City” initiative was financed by the European Commission Program, “Youth in Action”.
The program was a simulation and experiential intervention that was implemented by young people with the support of SKEP, from February 2014 until the end of October 2014.
Through this experiential approach, our goal was to highlight the lack of accessibility within the Attica District and the city of Thessaloniki.
The approach towards this issue was twofold:
1. To check and record the accessibility through the use of a questionnaire.
2. To introduce and sensitize students of issues faced by people with physical and sensory disabilities.
The problem of inaccessibility was addressed in two separate phases.
A.Open discussion regarding the notion of disability and the lack of accessibility in the participating schools.
SKEP’s motivational speakers (youth with disability and Phocomelia) visited schools in order to introduce students to the notion of disability and discuss issues regarding the lack of accessibility. These interventions took place during the school year and school hours, allowing students to prepare for the street action that followed. Overall, 23 open discussions took place with 1.200 participants in total.
More specifically the participating schools were the following:
- 1st Junior High School of Agia Paraskevi : 4/2/2014 – 60 Students
- Kantas School: 5/2/2014 – 50 Students
- Junior High School of Anoixi: 18/2/2014 – 80 Students
- Gerakas Junior High School for Arts: 13/2/2014 – 60 Students
- 7th Junior High Shool of Koridalos: 25/2/2014 – 50 Students
- 1st Junior High Shool of Pallini : 20/3/2014 – 50 Students
- Intercultural Junior High Shool of Elliniko: 31/3/2014 - 25 Students
- 1st Junior High Shool of Laurio: 31/3/2014 - 45 Students
- Greek – Armenian Primary School: 1/4/20124 - 30 Students
- 2nd Junior High Shool of Moschato: 1/4/2014 - 70 Students
- 3rd Primary School of Moscato: 1/4/2014 – 50 Students
- Junior High Shool of Skyros: 4/4/2014 - 30 Students
- 1st and 19th Primary School of Zografou: 10/4/2014 - 40 Students
- 3rd Junior High Shool of Zografou: 10/4/2014 - 70 Students
- Doukas School: 10/4/2014 - 50 Students
- 1st Junior High Shool of Vrilissia: 02/5/2014 – 100 Students
- 2nd Junior High Shool of Vrilissia: 02/5/2014 – 100 Students
- Students of SOS Children’s Villages – 6th Athens Municipal Apartment: 16/7/2014 – 30 Students
- 4th Primary School of Galatsi: 03/10/2014 – 60 Students
- 3rd Junior High Shool of Chortiati Thessalonikis: 10/10/2014 – 30 Students
- 6th Junior High Shool Thessalonikis: 10/10/2014 – 70 Students
- 17th Junior High Shool Thessalonikis: 10/10/2014 – 50 Students
B. Second phase: Street Action
Eleven street actions were held on weekends in order to increase the number of participants and the effect on bystanders. They were conducted in collaboration with Municipalities, the University of Athens as well as Primary and Secondary schools.
More specifically:
- April 5th 2014 - Municipality of Moschatou – Tavrou
- April 12th 2014 - Municipality of Zografou
- May 3rd 2014 - Municipality of Vrilissia
- July 4th 2014 - Municipality of Kifissia
- July 8th 2014 - Municipality of Paiania
- July 16th 2014 - Municipality of Athens – Kypseli area
- October 3rd 2014 - Municipality of Galatsi
- October 11th 2014 - Municipality of Thessaloniki
- October 19th 2014 - Municipality of Athens – 1st Department of Athens
- October 29th and May 21st students and volunteers of the University of Athens were trained in accessibility techniques for wheelchair users.
The young people participating in this initiative were mainly students of Primary and Secondary schools, as well as their teachers and parents. Overall we had a total of 100 participants per street action.
The path taken by participants was clearly laid out by our association together with members of the municipalities and the chosen schools. Students without physical and sensory disabilities were seated in wheelchairs. They were asked to navigate the streets and record the lack of accessibility in several areas such as streets, schools, restaurants, roundabouts, shops, public areas etc. Youth over 18 years of age with physical and sensory disabilities accompanied the students to provide help and instruction. This activity enabled students to experience issues faced by disabled people in their everyday life and understand the magnitude of the problems they encounter.
Moreover, in 7 Street Actions an experiential simulation workshop of vision impairment was conducted. In collaboration with mobility and orientation trainers for visually impaired individuals, participants experienced the reality of being visually challenged vis a vis various activities (walking with the help of a white cane, accompaniment techniques etc).
The above activities were financed by the EU program "Youth in Action" and were completed in October 2014.