The implementation of the Personal Assistant program for people with disabilities in Greece officially began today, with the aim of integrating the disabled, who are able and willing, into social and economic life.

This is an innovative, for Greek standards, program which is already implemented in advanced European countries.

The new service was established by law 4837/2021 and is implemented for the first time in Greece and is financed with resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

The first phase of the program is currently being implemented. Dozens of personal assistants, who enter into contracts with disabled people, have already been certified. The goal is to provide personal assistants to 1,000 disabled people in Attica.

From mid-May 2023, applications are expected to start for all remaining regions.

The total number that the program will cover is 2,000. While in 2025 the program will be implemented universally, with funding from the NSRF.

What is a Personal Assistant for People with Disabilities?

Essentially the Personal Assistant is the instrument that ensures the independent living of the disabled person and their inclusion in the community, based on their individualized needs, wishes and choices. Thus the person with a disability has full control over the decisions about his life, based on autonomy and self-determination.

The Personal Assistant is guided by the disabled person and supports him in a wide range of activities that he cannot perform independently, due to his functional limitations.

It contributes to the prevention and prevention of institutionalization and isolation, whether it takes place in closed structures, or even inside homes, and promotes the equal participation of the disabled person in all aspects of social and economic activity, without discrimination and exclusion.

This program should in no way be confused with the “Help at Home” program which has completely different purposes.

Beyond the beneficiary himself, the Personal Assistant contributes to the release of the family environment from the support of the person with a disability.

“We open a window of opportunity for our fellow human beings with disabilities”

The importance of the Personal Assistant Program and its evolution were presented at a Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs event held today. The event was attended by the political leadership of the Ministry, MEP Stelios Kyborupoulos, as well as the president of the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities, Ioannis Vardakastanis and members of the disability movement. The event was coordinated by Paralympian Antonis Tsapatakis.

People with disabilities and their personal assistants spoke at the relevant event, who warmly supported the program. In addition, the President of ESAMEA, Yiannis Vardakastanis, addressed a greeting.

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, said: “Today we launched the launch of the Personal Assistant program for our fellow citizens with disabilities. In this way we give them the possibility to participate in social and economic everyday life and to become productive. They can do it! It is the duty of the State to give them this possibility. This program is an innovative and modern program, which is already implemented in several advanced European countries and in the circle of these countries…