The problems of accessibility for people with disabilities at the Athens Regional Court of First Instance in Peristeri were recorded during a site visit by the President of the Athens Bar Association, Dimitrios Vervesos, accompanied by the visually impaired lawyer and member of the Board of Directors. He was accompanied by Evangelos Avgoulas, a lawyer and a member of the board of directors, and Christos Meletes, an activist and social worker who has mobility problems.

According to a statement, the absence of a ramp at the entrance of the building and on the sidewalk in front of the court was noted.

The absence of a lift was also noted, with the result that no citizen wheelchair user can access the building, and for the visually impaired, there is a complete lack of guides for the blind inside and outside the court.

Specifically, the statement from the APA reads as follows:

“An on-site survey of the accessibility conditions, which are proving to be tragic, was made today during a visit to the “upgraded” Athens Regional Court of First Instance in Peristeri, by the President of the Athens Bar Association Dimitrios Vervesos, accompanied by the visually impaired lawyer and member of the Board of Directors Evangelos Avgoulas. He was joined by disabled activist and social worker Christos Meleti.

During the visit, it was noted the absence of a ramp at the entrance and the absence of a lift in the building of the Regional Court of First Instance, with the result that no citizen using a wheelchair could access the building. In addition, the design of the wheelchair parking space outside the courthouse is inadequate, and there is no ramp on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse either.

For the visually impaired, there is a complete lack of blind guides inside and outside the courthouse, as well as color contrasts for the safety of the visually impaired on the stairs.

There is still no wheelchair-accessible toilet in the court facilities, nor a posted escape plan in case of emergency. And these are just some of the problems that prohibit access to the court not only for disabled people but also for older people and pregnant women.

The former Magistrate’s Court of Peristeri is now required to serve cases from the Magistrate’s Courts of Ilion and Acharnon, with the lack of accessibility showing that the court map was designed for a few and not for all.

“The cart got ahead of the horse” and this in view of the fact that from 15.9.2026 it will be called upon to support 250,000 euro cases from 20,000 euro currently.

It is noted that with the Law no. 4074/2012 our country ratified the UN International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Among other things, article 9 of the Convention obliges the state to ensure accessibility in the built environment, while Article 12 legislates the obligation to take measures for the accessibility of disabled citizens at every stage and in every judicial procedure.

The situation we lawyers face in the court buildings throughout Attica demonstrates that over time the state has been legislating on the one hand in favour of the human rights of people with disabilities and on the other hand not implementing the international conventions it has subsequently ratified.