Accessibility
The Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece (CHS Greece) emphasizes Harvard University's efforts to ensure an accessible and welcoming environment for all individuals who wish to visit or participate in its activities. For general access information, please call 27520 47030 and press "3" or email chsgreece@chs.harvard.edu.
Accessibility of the building
Entrance
The CHS Greece building is in the old town of Nafplio, where most streets are pedestrianized with paving stones. Its entrance is on the pedestrian street Otto (Othonos), beside Philhellene Square. To access the building, all visitors need to ring the doorbell and wait:
- either to hear the sound and push the door that unlocks through the intercom for self-entry
- or to be welcomed by a member of the CHS Greece staff.
Due to the building's architectural nature as a preserved structure, the entrance is not initially accessible to individuals using wheelchairs or walkers. In these cases, CHS Greece staff ensure access by opening the second leaf of the door and placing a folding entry ramp.
Approach by car and park
The Center is in Philhellene Square, between the Church of Saint Nicholas and the Old Customs House, near the beach and geographically opposite the Bourtzi fortress.
You can approach CHS Greece by car via Queen Amalia Street, which leads to Philhellene Square, with a stop at the level of Otto Street. From that point, the Center's door is less than 5 meters away on a pedestrian-level road. Alternatively, you can stop the car on Bouboulina Coastal Road before the beginning of Philhellene Square and opposite the Old Customs House, from where the door is approximately 50 meters away.
Regarding parking, you can use the free municipal parking at the port of Nafplio, parallel to Bouboulina Street, with parking spaces for disabled vehicles. Such spaces near CHS Greece also exist in front of the 1st High School of Nafplio on Queen Amalia Street.
Inside the building
Before your first visit to the building, we encourage you to get an overview of the space from the virtual tour and photographic materials published on our website regarding CHS Greece's facilities.
CHS Greece is divided into four floors, three of which are accessible by elevator. These include the ground floor, first floor, and second floor, which are served by a spacious elevator featuring automatic doors, an internal handrail for support, and floor selection buttons with Braille. The top floor (attic), which contains a lounge, kitchen, terrace, and other staff utility areas, is inaccessible to individuals with mobility disabilities.
The floor of all levels is even, except for a point on the ground floor where a step leads to the antechamber for the second staff door and the building's stairs. This step is not part of the path for those choosing to go to the upper floors via the elevator.
Visitors to CHS Greece can also use the spiral wooden staircase instead of the elevator from the ground floor to the top floor. The handrail is located on the inner side and, at specific points, does not ensure the safe use of the stairs. Attention is drawn to the varying width of the steps.
Chairs are available for public use on all floors.
Access to the Digital Library
The public can use the Georgios D. Vernardakis Digital Library room on the first floor of the building to read and access Harvard's digital resources. CHS Greece provides four spacious computer stations for visiting researchers to use. Please note that the operating system on these computers is in English and is based on Linux. Additionally, you can connect to Harvard's digital library from the same space using your own devices (laptop, tablet).
If the spaces on the first floor are fully occupied, the Fellows Room on the second floor, which has two large tables and chairs, can be used.
The Digital Library space is available to the public during CHS Greece's operating hours. The staff informs visitors upon their entry if the room is reserved for an event. We recommend calling before your visit to confirm availability.
To access Harvard's digital resources, you must create an account with an email address and password. During your first visit, the CHS Greece staff will meet with you and guide you through the registration steps. On your first day and subsequent visits, you can contact Matina Goga, who is responsible for managing the Digital Library, for assistance with your resource searches.
For more information, visit the main page "Digital Library & Research."
Restrooms
On the first floor, three unisex restrooms are available for visitors to CHS Greece. These are separate rooms where a motion sensor activates the lights without a switch. The restrooms are equipped with a floor-mounted toilet (not a ground-level one), soap, toilet paper, and hand towels, and each contains a sink and mirror. One of these restrooms is accessible to wheelchair users and features a wall-mounted support handle near the specialized seat and a sink with an opening.
On the ground floor, there is an additional fourth restroom for the public next to the building's elevator, which is smaller and less accessible to individuals with mobility limitations.
Wi-Fi network
All individuals visiting CHS Greece can have free access to the building's Wi-Fi networks. The names and passwords of each network are posted on signs on all floors, and the staff can also provide this information verbally if locating and reading the signs is not feasible.
Food and drink
Food is not allowed inside the CHS Greece building. If you need an exception, please speak with the staff.
Drinks are allowed (excluding alcoholic beverages), but caution is used to ensure the cleanliness of the building and the functionality of the equipment.
Visitors can access free drinking water from two bottled water coolers located on the ground and second floors of the building.
Temporary daily storage of personal items
The Digital Library room on the first floor has five small storage lockers with keys available for public use. Visitors can use them, when available, to store their personal belongings during their stay at CHS Greece. At the end of each business day, the key must be returned. The lockers are emptied, and any forgotten items need to be retrieved by visitors from the staff on the following working days. The use of the storage lockers is the sole responsibility of the visitors, and CHS Greece is not liable for any damage or theft.
Guide dogs, psychiatric assistance dogs
CHS Greece welcomes guide dogs and psychiatric assistance dogs accompanying visiting researchers.
Digital accessibility
CHS Greece follows Harvard's Digital Accessibility Policy, striving to offer its websites and accompanying digital materials following the success criteria and level AA compliance requirements in version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Our efforts for digital accessibility are ongoing. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding the digital accessibility of specific sections of the websites https://greece.chs.harvard.edu/ and https://el.greece.chs.harvard.edu/ or any other digital space where CHS Greece provides material, please email clafi@chs.harvard.edu to contact Christina Lafi, who is responsible for our digital content. If you encounter an accessibility issue, please specify the particular webpage in your email, and we will make every effort to make that page accessible to you.
Accessibility in our activities
The Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece welcomes the participation of individuals with disabilities in its programs and activities. The staff holds regular meetings dedicated to accessibility issues, enhancing CHS Greece's collective awareness of fostering an inclusive environment that welcomes and integrates individuals with disabilities into its activities.
If you wish to request reasonable accommodation related to participation or have questions about access to the spaces, you can contact the CHS Greece coordinator responsible for each activity in advance via email or phone. Their name and contact information are always listed on the main webpage of each activity. Alternatively, you can call 27520 47030 and press "3" or email chsgreece@chs.harvard.edu.
Requests for reasonable accommodation should be submitted as early as possible. Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, please note that all services are subject to availability.