Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
World Blind Union - WBU

Finland

Download 'WBU Reports on the UN Standard Rules' as a PDF file (195 KB)

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

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

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in guidelines adopted by the government, in guidelines adopted by a national disability council, and in policy adopted by NGOs. The emphasis in this policy is on rehabilitation and individual support. The government has done the following in order to convey the message of full participation: an amount of DKK 100.000 has been reserved for information activities for spreading knowledge of the UN Standard Rules. A booklet has been published by 'det Centrale handicapråd', including 6 interviews with perspectives of the UN Standard Rules. The Rules have been published in an authorized Danish translation.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special legislation and general legislation. The judicial mechanism available to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is means of appeal. Administrative and other non-judicial bodies include an Ombudsman and independent expert bodies.

General legislation applies to persons with visual disabilities with respect to education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, access to court of law, 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, independent living. According to the Government even the benefit of financial security is guaranteed by law.

No new legislation concerning disability has been enacted, since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are building regulations to ensure accessibility of the built environment requiring that public places, the outdoor environment, means of public transportation and housing are made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by a national authority, by local governments and the constructor. No measures have been promoted by the government in order to facilitate accessibility in the built environment. According to the Government, measures to facilitate accessibility have been promoted up to a certain extent. These include: levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing automatic doors, lifts and accessible toilets, ensuring access to public places, improving accessibility in housing, providing financial incentives for accessibility measures when building and renovating housing, providing financial support for adapting private buildings, installing lighting and using contrast colours for visually impaired and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. There are special transport arrangements for persons with disabilities including the right to reduced fare, half price for a guide and for the person him-/herself on trains, buses, domestic flights and ferries. There is also, to a certain extent, special handicap-transportation, but very restricted. Special transport is available for whatever purpose. At a varying degree all of the following factors are obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments: attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, technical factors, geographical and climatic factors, lack of legislation and regulations, lack of planning and design capacity, lack of knowledge, research and information, lack of user participation, lack of corporation form other organizations/institutions and lack of enforcement mechanism. There is no disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information to make their services accessible to persons with visual disabilities. However, the library service upon request might produce certain key information. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with visual disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape and news magazines on tape/Braille. In addition, electronic bulletin boards are provided. However, none of the services pointed out above are being provided to a satisfactory extent.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization in which 27 organizations are represented. There are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and to work with governmental institutions. A number of legislative rules provide that disability-organizations appoint members to councils. Organizations of persons with disabilities are sometimes consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at both the national, regional and local level. No support is given by the government to organizations of persons with disabilities, except from an inconsiderable amount. However, organizations receive a part of the surplus from the state lottery. The Government states giving financial support to organizations.

The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures concerning the lives of persons with disabilities, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promotoe/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

The national co-ordinating committee is reporting to the Parliament and to all the Ministries. The co-ordinating committee includes representatives of many ministries, of organizations of persons with disabilities, of representatives from organizations of municipalities and counties. The government expects the committee to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks e.g. consultation, monitoring of the state chosen areas. The council might also take initiatives and suggest changes in current legislation and administrative rules. The establishment of the committee has had the following effects: improved co-ordination of measures/programmes, improved legislation, improved integration of responsibility, a better dialogue in the disability field and improved promotion of public awareness.

The adoption of the Rules has so far not led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy but might be applied to enhance and endorse the existing policy.

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