In a country as chaotic as Greece, one can only begin to imagine how confusing and debilitating it can be for someone who is blind or sight impaired.
And if you go back some 70 years to a devastated Athens after World War II, you’ll understand why a handful of better-off Greek-Americans decided to offer a part of their savings to set up the Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind in Kallithea.
The word “faros” in Greek means lighthouse and that’s exactly what Faros in Kallithea is all about… it serves as a beacon in the life of Greece’s blind and visually impaired.
I had the chance to visit Faros and its unique tactual museum, and I encourage readers planning a trip to Athens to dedicate some time and do the same. You won’t regret it and you’ll be doing a good deed which we are in so much need of these days.
What is Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind?
For nearly a century, Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind in Athens has been the home away from home for Greece’s blind and visually impaired.
Τhis non-profit organization, for the most part run thanks to the dedicated work of volunteers and the support of donations, is an inclusive space where Greece’s blind and sight impaired can find guidance, support, work, and friends.
Among others, the people at Faros Athens help the blind or visually impaired with complex bureaucratic procedures and assist them with everyday tasks which we take for granted… things like getting access to healthcare, banks, social security, and so much more.
Faros also runs a Braille lending library, a fitness center, a health clinic, a Braille learning center, a recording studio for audio books, and a Braille printing service.
But above all, it’s a place of connection.
Faros Athens: A Place of Connection
During my visit I had the chance to speak with Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind President Maria Tzevelekou. She said Faros was the “first step and stop for people who are not born blind but who lose their eyesight later in life feeling utterly lost, scared, and confused”.
Tzevelekou lost her eye-sight some 10 years ago. “When there’s such a sudden shift in one’s life, it is critical that they are able to reach out for assistance on simple things we usually take for granted such as getting around, access to hospitals, banks, people,” she told The Greek Vibe.
George Andros, on the board of directors of the American Friends of the Blind in Greece (AFBG), and a good friend of The Greek Vibe explains that Faros was set up by a group of Greek-Americans who were looking for ways to address the lack of services for the blind in their homeland, particularly after the war.
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The AFBG wanted through Faros to offer young people the chance to train in the US and return to Greece able to earn a living and live independently and with dignity, he says. Back in Greece they had the chance to work, sell the items they made and make a living.
And yes, this is what Faros continues to do today. Dozens of blind or visually impaired people work and earn here making brooms, baskets, linen, metal and textiles, beautiful arts and crafts or transcribing into Braille everything from museum signs and medication leaflets to books, instruction manuals, and even ministry documents.
The items made are sold to private and public customers, including the Greek army, local government offices, hospitals, and hotels.
Since it first opened in 1946, the AFBG has raised some 3.6 million dollars in support of the blind in Greece. Today, Faros provides services to over 100 individuals daily and more than 2,500 annually, continuing its legacy of empowerment and community support.
Why Visit the Tactual Museum of Athens
A museum for the blind? Well, yes! I was as surprised as you and actually had no idea how this was possible. The Athens Tactual Museum housed in a renovated neoclassical home in the heart of Kallithea a few miles from the city center is one of the world’s five such museums.
What is a tactual museum? It’s very much like all other museums only here the items on show can be touched! And the reason is to give the blind or visually impaired the chance to understand what things ‘look like’ through touch.
At Athens Tactual Museum you will find replicas of famous art works and sculptures things you would usually see in the National Archaeological Museum or the Acropolis Museum or even at the Louvre in Paris.
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A Rare Hands-on Museum Experience
Exhibits at the Athens Tactual Museum include models of Orthodox churches, ancient temples like the Parthenon and its friezes, the Theater of Dionysus and artefacts, vases and pottery, busts and masks, votives and items of Orthodox faith like the Epitaphios, and tactile maps of Greece.
Unlike other museums where intimidating cameras and red signs abound telling us to avoid touching the items on show at the Athens Tactual Museum you are encouraged to touch and feel.
“Someone who is blind does not know what a church is like. Here, through touch, they can get a feel of the building,” explains Tzevelekou.
The museum is as much an experience for the seeing as it is for the blind or visually impaired. All exhibits are accompanied by signs in print and Braille script, audio descriptions or enlarged printing, automated guided tours in Greek and English.
For a more heightened experience, I suggest you cover your eyes and allow a different sense to take over… to create a perception of things beyond our comfort zone.
For me, a visit to the Athens Tactual Museum is an absolute must. In addition to appreciating Greek art and culture, you gain a deeper understanding of why accessibility and inclusivity is a right that everyone should enjoy.
So often we take things for granted. A visit to Faros and to the Athens Tactual Museum reminds us to be appreciative and grateful and of the power of the human connection.
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► Where is Athens Tactual Museum and Faros Light House for the Blind?
The Athens Tactual Museum is at 198 Doiranis St in Kallithea and just around the corner you’ll find Faros Lighthouse for the Blind at 17 Athinas St.
► What time should I visit?
The Athens Tactual Museum is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm, closed on weekends. I suggest you call (+30) 210 9415 222 before you visit. Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind is open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 2.30pm.
► How can I support Faros – Lighthouse for the Blind?
You can support Faros initiatives and programs by
– purchasing handmade gifts or assisting devices from their online shop
– working there as a volunteer
– or making a donation to the Faros or to American Friends of the Blind in Greece here
In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
♫ I end today’s post on that note… with a song penned by Greek tenor Marios Frangoulis to the music of Paraskevas Karasoulos in 2003 about the Little Prince who sees with his heart and feels with his innocence.
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