The theme of this year’s event will highlight two crucial issues, which are aspects of design that impact our lives: accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility ensures that buildings and spaces are accessible to everyone, regardless of any restrictions or disabilities, while inclusion promotes respect for diversity and the needs of the community, ensuring that all people, regardless of gender, nationality, religion, visible or hidden disabilities, have equal opportunities and rights.
As part of this year’s theme, the following actions & activities are planned:
– Information about buildings that are accessible to people with disabilities, including an accessibility filter on the website, special signage for accessible buildings participating in the program, and inclusion in the printed program and website.
– Online activities such as Live-streaming Tours, featuring tours of 2 buildings participating in this year’s program and broadcasted on OHA’s Instagram account, and Open Office, which will be uploaded to our YouTube channel and feature interviews and tours of 3 offices operating in Athens that have excelled in their field.
– The parallel action Open School includes tours for educational groups, the Chinese community in Athens, and schools for the blind. OPEN HOUSE Athens, in collaboration with Mind the Map, has created tactile maps and a three-dimensional model of the Deligiorgis Mansion to provide individuals with partial or total blindness with information about the space they are in through tactile sensation.
– Highlighting the work of Michalis Orros, an architect with significant visual impairments. One of his works was the home and studio of the distinguished visual artist-potter Panos Valsamakis, which is participating in this year’s program.
– All tours of Open House Athens are conducted not only in Greek but also in English.
Accessibility & Inclusion Sponsor: NATIONAL BANK
photo: Fanis Pavlopoulos