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Athens International Airport is the only Greek company that qualified to the final round of the competition "Design for All", organized by the European Commission. This initiative aims to reward significant achievements of companies and organizations in helping and caring for people with disabilities. The 30 nominees, chosen from amongst 80 initial candidates, will compete for the "Breaking Barriers Award" in Brussels on the 3rd of December, which is the European Day of Disabled People. The European Commission alongside with the European Disability Forum will reward the devotion of the nominees to people with disabilities in the areas of product creation, specialized services and the adaptation of buildings according to the "Design for All" concept. In the final round of the competition, AIA will compete against major companies and organizations such as Siemens Elektrogerate GmgH, Fiat Auto S.p.A., Technical University of Madrid and British Telecommunications plc.

The award ceremony will be covered in its entirety by European Media, which will spotlight and promote AIA's effort and know-how in trying to help people with disabilities. The President of the panel of judges is the well-known designer Mr. Alberto Alessi from Alessi Design Company.


ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 'ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS' INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF DISABLED USERS

The provisions for the disabled users of the Athens International Airport may be summarized as follows:

1. Special parking spaces close to the airport facilities with appropriate signage and increased dimensions.
2. Internal and external elevators specially designed to fit wheel chairs. In addition, all elevators are equipped with acoustical signals, Braille system texts and intercommunication with the technical support department.
3. Ramps for all pedestrian crossings to provide easy access for all wheel chair users.
4. Special strip at the entrance of the Main Terminal Building to guide blinds to the special counters for disabled.
5. Assistance counters of decreased height for the wheel chairs users.
6. Primary signage indicating the disabled waiting lounges.
7.  Waiting Lounges specially designed for the disabled.
8. All passenger concourses, designed according to international standards, render all facilities within the Terminal accessible to all passengers with special needs. In addition electrical carts are available to assist users with movement problems.
9. Text telephones for the deaf.
10. Telephones fixed at appropriate height for use of the disabled.
11. Strob Lights in all public areas (for optical sign in case of emergency).
12. Special signage in large glazed partitions in order to render them visible (for users with visual problems).
13. Possibility to transmit messages via the airport's Flight Information Display Panels (for the deaf).
14. In all cases of vertical movement, together with the escalators and the staircases, there is always an elevator for use of the disabled.
15. Braille system text wherever it is necessary.
16. Special toilets in all toilet complexes, equipped with hand rails, special mirrors, emergency telephones, color differentiation at the wall painting, and hardware specially designed for use by the disabled.
17. Finally it must be noted that all concessionaires have followed the same design criteria for their own facilities in order to comply the same philosophy throughout the airport with regards to the disabled.