Hit me, Ms Minister, one more time!

I have learn the news today as two participants have bombed me with emails and phone calls. And news are not very good.

Minister of Education, Ms Anna Diamantopoulou, decided to close the Thessaloniki Technical School for Blind Telephone Operators, with the pretext of lack of money.

Being Telephone Operator is the basic profession visually impaired people who live in Northern Greece exercise. By abolishing this choice is like condemning all these people to unemployment.

Panhellenic Association for the Blind and other Associations for blind people accused this action as “illegal”.

Blind Dates has posted to its blog the open letter Panhellenic Association has written to protest about the decision of Ministry of Education.

As a Regional Union of the Panhellenic Federation of the Blind and a member of the National Federation of the Blind, we express our strong protest of the Blind of Northern Greece for the sudden decision made by Institute of Adult Continuing Education to close IEK Tiresias for visually impaired specialist operator call center and customer service in Thessaloniki.

[…] We are determined to fight in any democratically acceptable way to restore this social aberration, which unfortunately made the official state through authorized institutions. […]

We urge Government, ministers and officials involved, even at the last moment, to ponder the size of the shock this decision will cause for unemployed blind people and instead of removing the unique specialty that gives them a decent living, to ensure the expansion of the professions of the visually impaired people.

V.S, participant of Blind Dates and graduate of the Thessaloniki Technical School for Blind Telephone Operators says:

“By closing this School is like ignoring blind people and accepting that they are useless and they should stay at home doing nothing”

Unfortunately, Greek mainstream media haven't shown any interest in the recent decision of the Ministry. So, it is time for social media again to act!

Blind Dates will try to spread the word about this crucial matter and collaborate with Panhellenic Association to fight for the reopening of the Tecnhical School. We will try to post interviews and articles to show how vital it is for blind community this School to remain open.

Wish us Good Luck!

4 thoughts on “Hit me, Ms Minister, one more time!

    • No! Fortunately, the minister took back her decision!
      But still, after the economical crisis hit Greece, blind community has suffered a lot… One day they announce that they will close the School and the other they take it back… It is like a “Scottish Shower”!

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