Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Inclusion International - ILSMH

Finland

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Kehitysvammaisten Tukiliitto r.y., Finland
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Finnish Government, ILSMH (Förbundet de Utvecklingsstördas Väl), RI, WBU

General policy

The national disability policy is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the government, in guidelines adopted by the National Disability Council and in policy adopted by NGOs. According to the Government, disability policy is also expressed in policy adopted by political parties. The emphasis in this national disability policy - in descending scale - is on individual support, rehabilitation, prevention, accessibility measures.

The government has not done anything to initiate and support information campaigns conveying the message of full participation. The Government states that, since the adoption of the Standard Rules, the National Council on Disability in co-operation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published an easy reader version of the Standard Rules in Finnish and in Swedish.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special legislation and general legislation. The judicial mechanisms adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities include: due process (legal remedy through courts) and recourse procedure by a special agency dealing with anti-discrimination issues; non-judicial bodies include an Ombudsman and NGOs. According to the Government, judicial mechanisms do not include recourse procedure and non-judicial not NGOs.

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to: education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, the right to privacy and property rights. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, independent living as well as participation in decisions affecting themselves.

No new legislation concerning disability has been enacted since the adoption of the Standard Rules. According to the Government, since the adoption of the Standard Rules, the Constitution has been amended. A clause on equality and a clause on sign language have also been included.

Accessibility

There are laws and regulations to ensure accessibility of the built environment requiring that public places and the outdoor environment are made accessible. According to the Government, there are standards which require that housing is made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by local governments. The following measures have been promoted by the government in order to facilitate accessibility in the built environment: marking parking areas, installing lifts and accessible toilets, ensuring access to public places. According to the Government, even other measures have been promoted in order to ensure accessibility in the built environment: levelling off pavements, improving accessibility in housing, providing financial incentives for accessibility measures, installing special lighting and using contrast colours for visually impaired and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. Special transport arrangement for persons with disabilities is available for education, work and for recreational purpose. According to the Government, special transport is also available for medical treatment. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are economic/budgetary factors, lack of planning and design-capacity, lack of knowledge, research and information and lack of user participation. The Government does not regard economic/budgetary factors as an obstacle for building accessible environments. There is a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language for deaf people is recognized as the official language of deaf people and is used as the first language in education of deaf people. According to the government, sign language is not recognized as the official language of deaf people. There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information to make their services accessible for persons with disabilities. According to the Government there are recommendations made by a workgroup set up by the Ministry of Transport and Communication in order to encourage media to make their services accessible. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and other persons: literature on tape, easy readers for persons with mental disabilities. According to the Government, even sign language interpretation for any purpose is provided.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization. There are no legal provisions that mandate the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making. According to the Government, there are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making. Disability organisations are often consulted when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at the national and local levels. The government supports financially existing or new organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in government and in the judiciary system, to some extent in legislatures and political parties and to a great extent in NGOs.

Co-ordination of work

The national co-ordinating committee is reporting to the Health and Social Ministry. The committee includes representatives of the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs, Employment, Transport, Housing and of organizations of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, the co-ordinating committee also includes representatives from the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health and from the Finnish Federation of Municipalities. The government does not expect the co-ordinating committee to participate in policy development or to perform other tasks. According to the Government, however, the co-ordinating committee is expected to participate in policy development, to promote the participation of disabled people in society and to promote awareness raising actions. It is too early for an assessment concerning the effects of the establishment of the co-ordinating committee. According to the Government, the effects of the co-ordinating committee are improved co-ordination in the disability field, improved legislation and integration of responsibility, a better dialogue in the disability field, more effective use of resources and improved promotion of public awareness.

The adoption of the Standard Rules has not led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy. According to the Government, the adoption of the Rules have helped the Government to focus on the areas that needed attention. The National Disability Programme is based on the Standard Rules.

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Contents of the ILSMH Report | Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Finnish Government, ILSMH (Förbundet de Utvecklingsstördas Väl), RI, WBU