We are delighted to announce the completion of the second Masoutis store that has been made fully accessible for people with visual impairments. The store, located in the Kallithea area of Athens, represents an important step toward strengthening accessibility and social inclusion.
Implementation Through Specialized Interventions
Accessibility Support Academy, a team of specialized professionals, was responsible for the design and implementation of the accessibility interventions that ensured the store’s full accessibility.
The process began with a technical assessment and continued with targeted interventions, including:
- Installation of an indoor tactile guiding path for safe and independent movement
- Color contrast enhancements at key points to improve visual recognition
- Three tactile–audio maps to support orientation and navigation
- Non-slip surfaces on ramps and walkways
Employee Training for Serving Customers with Visual Impairments
To ensure the highest level of service for customers with visual impairments, specialized training was provided to the staff of the Kallithea store, as well as to employees of a nearby store within the same retail chain.
This training played a crucial role in the smooth operation of the store and significantly enhanced employees’ ability to provide appropriate support to all visitors.
If you would like to equip your employees with valuable knowledge that enhances both productivity and social inclusion for people with visual impairments, we invite you to learn more about our training programs for businesses and organizations or contact us to develop a customized solution tailored to your needs.
Valuable Contribution of Specialized Professionals and Partners
We would like to warmly acknowledge the individuals and organizations whose contribution was instrumental to the successful implementation of this project:
- Leia Avraam, Orientation and Mobility & Independent Living Skills Instructor, for her guidance and contribution to the effective training of staff, as well as for her valuable consulting and support in the development of building accessibility.
- Foteini Baxevanou, Orientation and Mobility & Independent Living Skills Instructor, for her excellent work in training and support, as well as for her consulting guidance throughout the accessibility implementation process.
- Thanasis Atsalos, Civil Engineer, for his outstanding contribution to the technical design and construction interventions of the project.
- Dimitra Arampatzi, Civil Engineer, for her valuable collaboration in the implementation of the project’s technical requirements.
- Marco Marengo, Tactile Path Installation Specialist, for his collaboration and support in the technical aspects of the project’s implementation.
- Enable Greece, for the design and implementation of the tactile–audio maps that significantly facilitated navigation within the store for people with visual impairments, with contributions from the following team members:
- Athanasios Mitzifiris, Mechanical Engineering Educator, MEd in Teaching Specialized Subjects with New Technologies (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens).
- Panagiota Tsoni, Electronics Engineering Educator with a Master’s degree in Embedded Computing Systems.
- Giorgos D. Antonakos, PhD Mechanical Engineer (NTUA), holder of a postgraduate specialization diploma in Engineering and Technological Applications (SEMFE–NTUA).
Their contribution was decisive, and we sincerely thank them for their dedication and collaboration on this important project.
The project was carried out under the auspices of Guide Dogs Greece and the Center for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind.
Project Contractor: tandem
