This paper concerns the implementation of accessibility improvement interventions in Byzantine Mo... more This paper concerns the implementation of accessibility improvement interventions in Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki in the frame of the PROSPELASIS project. A structured methodology has been elaborated theoretically and then applied to the Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. Appropriate checklists have been developed and next applied to evaluate the accessibility level of 20 Monuments. For each Monument, alternative accessibility improvement solutions have been prepared. 6 Monuments have been selected and the chosen solutions have been further elaborated on final study level and, finally, following the approval of Archaeological Authorities, interventions have been realized. Users have also participated in several stages of the project.
Purpose Access to culture is a fundamental right of people with disabilities and a significant as... more Purpose Access to culture is a fundamental right of people with disabilities and a significant aspect in the development of accessible tourism. A visit to a monument provides an authentic experience which cannot be substituted by any representation. However, any interventions to improve accessibility should be made carefully, so as not to alter the monument’s character, or damage it visually or structurally. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical approach model was defined in the PROSPELASIS project for the improvement of accessibility in monuments which was applied in Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. This approach contains the following steps: evaluation of existing accessibility level; definition of alternative solutions; creation of final studies, approval by archaeological authorities and implementation of interventions. Findings In six major Byzantine monuments significant improvements were realized which include: installation of t...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece.
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general, constitutes a social, financial and political demand. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. In six major monuments included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, significant accessibility improvements were realized. Α Wi-Fi information system was installed in all of them via which an audio and visual information system was created with audio information in three languages, description of visual information, text information, information in Greek and International Sign Language. Additionally, in Rotunda and Heptapyrgion monuments three dimensional models were developed. The successful validation of the proposed methodology constitute the results of ...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece. JEL Classifica...
WorkAbility- Project financed by the countries of the European Economic Area –EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) in the frame of the Programme “Diversity, Inequalities and Social Inclusion” and by the Greek National Programme of Public Investments, 2016
The subject of the present survey, conducted in the frame of WorkAbility
project, is the employme... more The subject of the present survey, conducted in the frame of WorkAbility project, is the employment status of persons with disability in the region of Central Macedonia. The present report consists of descriptive statistics, crosstabs with chi- square tests, and a multinomial logistic regression. Regarding the term “statistical significance”, in simple words it means that the spread of the answers between groups is significantly not equal. In statistical hypothesis testing, statistical significance (or a statistically significant result) is attained when a p-value is less than the significance level (as a matter of good scientific practice, a significance level is chosen before data collection, herein when the p-value is less than 5%). The p-value is the probability of obtaining at least as extreme results given that the null hypothesis is true whereas the significance level is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis given that it is true. Herein almost always, the null hypothesis is that the spread of the answers is equal across all groups, thus when we have statistical significance in this data it means that the spread of the answers is not equal across groups. The aim of this survey was to record the experiences and points of view of the people who are being studied, concerning employment of persons with disability in Central Macedonia, in order to highlight and improve the current state of their employment, through improvements of accessibility infrastructures and services. The questionnaire was formed by members of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (TSRG/AUTh) in cooperation with social scientists and groups of persons with disability (hearing impaired, visually impaired, paraplegic), after specific bibliographical study. The disability associations that participated in this survey were the following: Panhellenic Association of the Blind - District Union of Central Macedonia. Panhellenic Association of Paraplegics - District Union of Macedonia and Thrace. Association of the Deaf of Northern Greece. The first phase of the survey was conducted from March 2016 to April 2016. In this phase questionnaires were gathered by interviews in person and by telephone. After the collection of the questionnaires was concluded, the second phase of the survey started. In this phase, the questionnaires were coded into meaningful data through data manipulation, in order to be ready for the statistical analysis which followed. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part with demographics and the second part with more targeted questions. More specifically: Questions 1-13 were general questions common for all the interviewees. They consisted of demographic questions, type of disability, level of education, allowance and income questions. At the following fields, the interviewees had to answer to the questions below, choosing one of the three categories that represented them. Which employment state currently describes you: - Employed - Unemployed or/and retired - Never worked Depending on one’s answer, the questionnaire referred the interviewee to a specific field with more specific questions about his employment state and status.
Research Anthology on Digital Transformation, Organizational Change, and the Impact of Remote Work
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general, constitutes a social, financial and political demand. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing monuments' accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. In six major monuments included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, significant accessibility improvements were realized. Α Wi-Fi information system was installed in all of them via which an audio and visual information system was created with audio information in three languages, description of visual information, text information, information in Greek and International Sign Language. Additionally, in Rotunda and Heptapyrgion monuments three dimensional models were developed. The successful validation of the proposed methodology constitute the res...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop accessible tourism in two areas of Greece and Tur... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop accessible tourism in two areas of Greece and Turkey. The areas of Drama in Greece and Mersin in Turkey have cooperated in the frame of MEDRA project to assess their potential and set up a plan for developing accessible tourism. Design/methodology/approach The choice of the two areas was not random. Mersin currently enjoys continuous development, as one of Turkey’s biggest ports and a free trade zone. Drama is a developing area in agricultural manufacturing and high-tech sectors with a rich physical environment which aspires to develop a healthy alternative tourism industry. Findings The findings include, amongst others, the identification of needs of tourists with disabilities, and the relevant historical evolution, legislative framework, international good practices, policy-improvement proposals, accessibility assessment in Mersin and Drama, and suggestions for developing accessible infrastructure together with the training of stakeh...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece.
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general constitutes a social, financial and political need. Dealing with the accessibility of monuments and public space in general has been, so far, on a “case by case” basis, counting on interventions that acted as an alibi, rather that solving the problem as a whole. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing Monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. The project was realized through a cooperation of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities. Through the project, six accessibilityassessing checklists dealing with various aspects of Byzantine monuments were developed. The possible sites of interest for visitors with disabilities examined amount to twenty Monuments which document the evolution of Byzantine architecture and are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The evaluation of their accessibility led to the creation of accessibility assessment reports as well as to suggestions of improvement at a pre-study level. In 6 major Monuments (Acheiropoietos, Saint Demetrios, Saint Nicholaos Orphanos, Hagia Sofia, Rotunda, Heptapyrgion Fortress) significant accessibility improvements took place realized in order to verify the proposed methodology. These improvements were accompanied by the production of a dedicated guidebook as well as the training of involved stakeholders. The successful implementation of the proposed methodology and the importance that accessibility improvement of monumental sites has in the attraction of visitors with restricted mobility and the development of accessible tourism, constitute the results of this project not only pertinent to Thessaloniki or Greece, but worthy of a wider application.
Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) are used for the orientation of visually impaired peopl... more Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) are used for the orientation of visually impaired people and for providing them with early warning when they are approaching a hazard. In this paper the main types of indicators used, both in Greece and abroad, are presented. The three main types of TGSIs used in Greece are evaluated by users and suggestions for the creation of a new type of TGSI as well as for the improvement of common bad practices in the Greek urban built environment are made.
Η εργασία αυτή πραγµατεύεται την αξιολόγηση της προσβασιµότητας διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών για άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, όπως αυτές εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας. Αναφέρονται οι κύριοι τύποι απτικών ενδείξεων που χρησιµοποιούνται εδώ, καθώς και παραδείγµατα από το εξωτερικό. Παρουσιάζονται αποτελέσµατα αξιολόγησης των κύριων πρακτικών που εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας, η οποία έγινε µε τη βοήθεια χρηστών, και τέλος διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για αντιµετώπιση ακολουθούµενων κακών πρακτικών. Λέξεις-Κλειδιά: Οικουµενικός Σχεδιασµός, Προσβασιµότητα διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών, Άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, Απτικές ενδείξεις
This paper concerns the implementation of accessibility improvement interventions in Byzantine Mo... more This paper concerns the implementation of accessibility improvement interventions in Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki in the frame of the PROSPELASIS project. A structured methodology has been elaborated theoretically and then applied to the Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. Appropriate checklists have been developed and next applied to evaluate the accessibility level of 20 Monuments. For each Monument, alternative accessibility improvement solutions have been prepared. 6 Monuments have been selected and the chosen solutions have been further elaborated on final study level and, finally, following the approval of Archaeological Authorities, interventions have been realized. Users have also participated in several stages of the project.
Purpose Access to culture is a fundamental right of people with disabilities and a significant as... more Purpose Access to culture is a fundamental right of people with disabilities and a significant aspect in the development of accessible tourism. A visit to a monument provides an authentic experience which cannot be substituted by any representation. However, any interventions to improve accessibility should be made carefully, so as not to alter the monument’s character, or damage it visually or structurally. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical approach model was defined in the PROSPELASIS project for the improvement of accessibility in monuments which was applied in Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. This approach contains the following steps: evaluation of existing accessibility level; definition of alternative solutions; creation of final studies, approval by archaeological authorities and implementation of interventions. Findings In six major Byzantine monuments significant improvements were realized which include: installation of t...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece.
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general, constitutes a social, financial and political demand. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. In six major monuments included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, significant accessibility improvements were realized. Α Wi-Fi information system was installed in all of them via which an audio and visual information system was created with audio information in three languages, description of visual information, text information, information in Greek and International Sign Language. Additionally, in Rotunda and Heptapyrgion monuments three dimensional models were developed. The successful validation of the proposed methodology constitute the results of ...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece. JEL Classifica...
WorkAbility- Project financed by the countries of the European Economic Area –EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) in the frame of the Programme “Diversity, Inequalities and Social Inclusion” and by the Greek National Programme of Public Investments, 2016
The subject of the present survey, conducted in the frame of WorkAbility
project, is the employme... more The subject of the present survey, conducted in the frame of WorkAbility project, is the employment status of persons with disability in the region of Central Macedonia. The present report consists of descriptive statistics, crosstabs with chi- square tests, and a multinomial logistic regression. Regarding the term “statistical significance”, in simple words it means that the spread of the answers between groups is significantly not equal. In statistical hypothesis testing, statistical significance (or a statistically significant result) is attained when a p-value is less than the significance level (as a matter of good scientific practice, a significance level is chosen before data collection, herein when the p-value is less than 5%). The p-value is the probability of obtaining at least as extreme results given that the null hypothesis is true whereas the significance level is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis given that it is true. Herein almost always, the null hypothesis is that the spread of the answers is equal across all groups, thus when we have statistical significance in this data it means that the spread of the answers is not equal across groups. The aim of this survey was to record the experiences and points of view of the people who are being studied, concerning employment of persons with disability in Central Macedonia, in order to highlight and improve the current state of their employment, through improvements of accessibility infrastructures and services. The questionnaire was formed by members of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (TSRG/AUTh) in cooperation with social scientists and groups of persons with disability (hearing impaired, visually impaired, paraplegic), after specific bibliographical study. The disability associations that participated in this survey were the following: Panhellenic Association of the Blind - District Union of Central Macedonia. Panhellenic Association of Paraplegics - District Union of Macedonia and Thrace. Association of the Deaf of Northern Greece. The first phase of the survey was conducted from March 2016 to April 2016. In this phase questionnaires were gathered by interviews in person and by telephone. After the collection of the questionnaires was concluded, the second phase of the survey started. In this phase, the questionnaires were coded into meaningful data through data manipulation, in order to be ready for the statistical analysis which followed. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part with demographics and the second part with more targeted questions. More specifically: Questions 1-13 were general questions common for all the interviewees. They consisted of demographic questions, type of disability, level of education, allowance and income questions. At the following fields, the interviewees had to answer to the questions below, choosing one of the three categories that represented them. Which employment state currently describes you: - Employed - Unemployed or/and retired - Never worked Depending on one’s answer, the questionnaire referred the interviewee to a specific field with more specific questions about his employment state and status.
Research Anthology on Digital Transformation, Organizational Change, and the Impact of Remote Work
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general, constitutes a social, financial and political demand. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing monuments' accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. In six major monuments included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, significant accessibility improvements were realized. Α Wi-Fi information system was installed in all of them via which an audio and visual information system was created with audio information in three languages, description of visual information, text information, information in Greek and International Sign Language. Additionally, in Rotunda and Heptapyrgion monuments three dimensional models were developed. The successful validation of the proposed methodology constitute the res...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop accessible tourism in two areas of Greece and Tur... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop accessible tourism in two areas of Greece and Turkey. The areas of Drama in Greece and Mersin in Turkey have cooperated in the frame of MEDRA project to assess their potential and set up a plan for developing accessible tourism. Design/methodology/approach The choice of the two areas was not random. Mersin currently enjoys continuous development, as one of Turkey’s biggest ports and a free trade zone. Drama is a developing area in agricultural manufacturing and high-tech sectors with a rich physical environment which aspires to develop a healthy alternative tourism industry. Findings The findings include, amongst others, the identification of needs of tourists with disabilities, and the relevant historical evolution, legislative framework, international good practices, policy-improvement proposals, accessibility assessment in Mersin and Drama, and suggestions for developing accessible infrastructure together with the training of stakeh...
The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemp... more The principal aim of the WorkAbility project was to apply a holistic approach concerning underemployment and unemployment in the case of people with disabilities in Greece. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in the framework of WorkAbility to investigate the employment status of people with disabilities in the Region of Central Macedonia. A total of 306 persons with disabilities participated in the survey, of which 101 persons were deaf or hard-of-hearing, 100 persons vision-impaired and 105 persons were hemiplegics, paraplegics or tetraplegics. A statistical analysis of data collected was performed and interesting results have been drawn for the total sample as a whole and for each disability group separately. A set of different variables has been examined and the statistical significance between them has been also determined. Survey results are available online and can be exploited towards the establishment of accessible employment and entrepreneurship in Greece.
The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with rest... more The accessibility of monuments and archaeological sites by disabled persons and persons with restricted mobility in general constitutes a social, financial and political need. Dealing with the accessibility of monuments and public space in general has been, so far, on a “case by case” basis, counting on interventions that acted as an alibi, rather that solving the problem as a whole. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing Monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. The project was realized through a cooperation of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities. Through the project, six accessibilityassessing checklists dealing with various aspects of Byzantine monuments were developed. The possible sites of interest for visitors with disabilities examined amount to twenty Monuments which document the evolution of Byzantine architecture and are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The evaluation of their accessibility led to the creation of accessibility assessment reports as well as to suggestions of improvement at a pre-study level. In 6 major Monuments (Acheiropoietos, Saint Demetrios, Saint Nicholaos Orphanos, Hagia Sofia, Rotunda, Heptapyrgion Fortress) significant accessibility improvements took place realized in order to verify the proposed methodology. These improvements were accompanied by the production of a dedicated guidebook as well as the training of involved stakeholders. The successful implementation of the proposed methodology and the importance that accessibility improvement of monumental sites has in the attraction of visitors with restricted mobility and the development of accessible tourism, constitute the results of this project not only pertinent to Thessaloniki or Greece, but worthy of a wider application.
Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) are used for the orientation of visually impaired peopl... more Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) are used for the orientation of visually impaired people and for providing them with early warning when they are approaching a hazard. In this paper the main types of indicators used, both in Greece and abroad, are presented. The three main types of TGSIs used in Greece are evaluated by users and suggestions for the creation of a new type of TGSI as well as for the improvement of common bad practices in the Greek urban built environment are made.
Η εργασία αυτή πραγµατεύεται την αξιολόγηση της προσβασιµότητας διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών για άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, όπως αυτές εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας. Αναφέρονται οι κύριοι τύποι απτικών ενδείξεων που χρησιµοποιούνται εδώ, καθώς και παραδείγµατα από το εξωτερικό. Παρουσιάζονται αποτελέσµατα αξιολόγησης των κύριων πρακτικών που εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας, η οποία έγινε µε τη βοήθεια χρηστών, και τέλος διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για αντιµετώπιση ακολουθούµενων κακών πρακτικών. Λέξεις-Κλειδιά: Οικουµενικός Σχεδιασµός, Προσβασιµότητα διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών, Άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, Απτικές ενδείξεις
This Guidebook is one of the ACTUS project deliverables (D11) concerning the good practices to fo... more This Guidebook is one of the ACTUS project deliverables (D11) concerning the good practices to follow and the delineation of the appropriate route for creating, in a visible future, an accessible University environment and educational process.
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Papers by Panagiotis Tsalis
project, is the employment status of persons with disability in the region
of Central Macedonia.
The present report consists of descriptive statistics, crosstabs with chi-
square tests, and a multinomial logistic regression. Regarding the term
“statistical significance”, in simple words it means that the spread of the
answers between groups is significantly not equal.
In statistical hypothesis testing, statistical significance (or a statistically
significant result) is attained when a p-value is less than the significance
level (as a matter of good scientific practice, a significance level is chosen before data collection, herein when the p-value is less than 5%). The p-value is the probability of obtaining at least as extreme results given that the null hypothesis is true whereas the significance level is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis given that it is true. Herein almost always, the null hypothesis is that the spread of the answers is equal across all groups, thus when we have statistical significance in this data it means that the spread of the answers is not equal across groups.
The aim of this survey was to record the experiences and points of view of the people who are being studied, concerning employment of persons with disability in Central Macedonia, in order to highlight and improve the
current state of their employment, through improvements of accessibility
infrastructures and services.
The questionnaire was formed by members of the Transport Systems
Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (TSRG/AUTh) in cooperation with social scientists and groups of persons with disability (hearing impaired, visually impaired, paraplegic), after specific
bibliographical study.
The disability associations that participated in this survey were the
following:
Panhellenic Association of the Blind - District Union of Central
Macedonia.
Panhellenic Association of Paraplegics - District Union of Macedonia
and Thrace.
Association of the Deaf of Northern Greece.
The first phase of the survey was conducted from March 2016 to April
2016. In this phase questionnaires were gathered by interviews in person
and by telephone. After the collection of the questionnaires was
concluded, the second phase of the survey started. In this phase, the
questionnaires were coded into meaningful data through data
manipulation, in order to be ready for the statistical analysis which
followed.
The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part with demographics and the second part with more targeted questions. More specifically:
Questions 1-13 were general questions common for all the interviewees.
They consisted of demographic questions, type of disability, level of
education, allowance and income questions.
At the following fields, the interviewees had to answer to the questions
below, choosing one of the three categories that represented them.
Which employment state currently describes you:
- Employed
- Unemployed or/and retired
- Never worked
Depending on one’s answer, the questionnaire referred the interviewee to
a specific field with more specific questions about his employment state
and status.
that solving the problem as a whole. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing Monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at
Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. The project was realized through a cooperation of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities. Through the project, six accessibilityassessing checklists dealing with various aspects of Byzantine monuments were
developed. The possible sites of interest for visitors with disabilities examined amount to twenty Monuments which document the evolution of Byzantine architecture and are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The evaluation of their accessibility led to the creation of accessibility assessment reports as well as to suggestions of
improvement at a pre-study level. In 6 major Monuments (Acheiropoietos, Saint Demetrios, Saint Nicholaos Orphanos, Hagia Sofia, Rotunda, Heptapyrgion Fortress) significant accessibility improvements took place realized in order to verify the proposed methodology. These improvements were accompanied by the production of a dedicated guidebook as well as the training of involved stakeholders. The successful implementation of the proposed methodology and the importance that accessibility improvement of monumental sites has in the attraction of visitors with restricted
mobility and the development of accessible tourism, constitute the results of this project not only pertinent to Thessaloniki or Greece, but worthy of a wider application.
Η εργασία αυτή πραγµατεύεται την αξιολόγηση της προσβασιµότητας διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών για άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, όπως αυτές εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας. Αναφέρονται οι κύριοι τύποι απτικών ενδείξεων που χρησιµοποιούνται εδώ, καθώς και παραδείγµατα από το εξωτερικό. Παρουσιάζονται αποτελέσµατα αξιολόγησης των κύριων πρακτικών που εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας, η οποία έγινε µε τη βοήθεια χρηστών, και τέλος διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για αντιµετώπιση ακολουθούµενων κακών πρακτικών. Λέξεις-Κλειδιά: Οικουµενικός Σχεδιασµός, Προσβασιµότητα διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών, Άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, Απτικές ενδείξεις
project, is the employment status of persons with disability in the region
of Central Macedonia.
The present report consists of descriptive statistics, crosstabs with chi-
square tests, and a multinomial logistic regression. Regarding the term
“statistical significance”, in simple words it means that the spread of the
answers between groups is significantly not equal.
In statistical hypothesis testing, statistical significance (or a statistically
significant result) is attained when a p-value is less than the significance
level (as a matter of good scientific practice, a significance level is chosen before data collection, herein when the p-value is less than 5%). The p-value is the probability of obtaining at least as extreme results given that the null hypothesis is true whereas the significance level is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis given that it is true. Herein almost always, the null hypothesis is that the spread of the answers is equal across all groups, thus when we have statistical significance in this data it means that the spread of the answers is not equal across groups.
The aim of this survey was to record the experiences and points of view of the people who are being studied, concerning employment of persons with disability in Central Macedonia, in order to highlight and improve the
current state of their employment, through improvements of accessibility
infrastructures and services.
The questionnaire was formed by members of the Transport Systems
Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (TSRG/AUTh) in cooperation with social scientists and groups of persons with disability (hearing impaired, visually impaired, paraplegic), after specific
bibliographical study.
The disability associations that participated in this survey were the
following:
Panhellenic Association of the Blind - District Union of Central
Macedonia.
Panhellenic Association of Paraplegics - District Union of Macedonia
and Thrace.
Association of the Deaf of Northern Greece.
The first phase of the survey was conducted from March 2016 to April
2016. In this phase questionnaires were gathered by interviews in person
and by telephone. After the collection of the questionnaires was
concluded, the second phase of the survey started. In this phase, the
questionnaires were coded into meaningful data through data
manipulation, in order to be ready for the statistical analysis which
followed.
The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part with demographics and the second part with more targeted questions. More specifically:
Questions 1-13 were general questions common for all the interviewees.
They consisted of demographic questions, type of disability, level of
education, allowance and income questions.
At the following fields, the interviewees had to answer to the questions
below, choosing one of the three categories that represented them.
Which employment state currently describes you:
- Employed
- Unemployed or/and retired
- Never worked
Depending on one’s answer, the questionnaire referred the interviewee to
a specific field with more specific questions about his employment state
and status.
that solving the problem as a whole. The project “PROSPELASIS” attempted to counter this problem by focusing on creating a methodology for facing Monuments’ accessibility and perceptibility problems for people with disabilities and testing its application at
Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. The project was realized through a cooperation of the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities. Through the project, six accessibilityassessing checklists dealing with various aspects of Byzantine monuments were
developed. The possible sites of interest for visitors with disabilities examined amount to twenty Monuments which document the evolution of Byzantine architecture and are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The evaluation of their accessibility led to the creation of accessibility assessment reports as well as to suggestions of
improvement at a pre-study level. In 6 major Monuments (Acheiropoietos, Saint Demetrios, Saint Nicholaos Orphanos, Hagia Sofia, Rotunda, Heptapyrgion Fortress) significant accessibility improvements took place realized in order to verify the proposed methodology. These improvements were accompanied by the production of a dedicated guidebook as well as the training of involved stakeholders. The successful implementation of the proposed methodology and the importance that accessibility improvement of monumental sites has in the attraction of visitors with restricted
mobility and the development of accessible tourism, constitute the results of this project not only pertinent to Thessaloniki or Greece, but worthy of a wider application.
Η εργασία αυτή πραγµατεύεται την αξιολόγηση της προσβασιµότητας διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών για άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, όπως αυτές εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας. Αναφέρονται οι κύριοι τύποι απτικών ενδείξεων που χρησιµοποιούνται εδώ, καθώς και παραδείγµατα από το εξωτερικό. Παρουσιάζονται αποτελέσµατα αξιολόγησης των κύριων πρακτικών που εφαρµόζονται στη χώρα µας, η οποία έγινε µε τη βοήθεια χρηστών, και τέλος διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για αντιµετώπιση ακολουθούµενων κακών πρακτικών. Λέξεις-Κλειδιά: Οικουµενικός Σχεδιασµός, Προσβασιµότητα διαδροµών όδευσης τυφλών, Άτοµα µε πρόβληµα όρασης, Απτικές ενδείξεις