Only three in 10 people believe the media is doing a good job of covering issues affecting disabled people in Greece, according to survey presented at a conference in Athens yesterday.

The poll, conducted by VPRC, indicated that 68 percent of people feel that the media does not dedicate enough time to matters concerning the disabled.

TV programs that focus on disabled people are shown “rarely or never,” according to 84 percent of respondents.

Speaking at the conference, Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos urged the media to become more aware of issues affecting disabled people in Greece.

Greece has a poor record of providing facilities for disabled people. The lack of wheelchair access to public buildings and sidewalks is a prominent example of this problem.

Figures released last year also suggested that eight in 10 disabled people are unemployed.

A survey by the European Union earlier this year found that 96 percent of Greeks want authorities to pass laws to help the disabled find work.

The poll suggests that viewers, listeners and readers believe that TV, radio and newspapers have an important part to play in focusing awareness on disability issues – 85 percent of those questioned said that they believe the media could pressure the government into improving conditions for disabled people.

Six in 10 of those polled said that the support and services provided by the government so far have been “insignificant or non-existent.”

Two-thirds of respondents said that they have spent time with a disabled person and an almost equal amount believe that disability should not prevent someone from working in the media.

Following a question in Parliament yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Giorgos Constantopoulos admitted that new laws for the disabled were needed, particularly in relation to guide dogs for blind people. He said a law was needed to allow guide dogs to be admitted into public places and buildings. He suggested that a subsidy be introduced to help the blind buy and look after guide dogs.