InfoFinland - Disabled persons
Disabled persons
In Finland, there are many services that can help you in your everyday life with a disability or illness. These services include, for example, transport and assistant services. If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to apply for these services. Read more on the InfoFinland page Services for disabled persons.
Associations for the disabled
There are several organisations in Finland which strive to improve the status of the disabled in society. These organisations can provide you with advice and assistance on, for example, how to apply for services. They also often provide leisure time activities and peer support to persons of all ages. Contact information for these organisations is available on the Vammaisfoorumi disability forum website.
Hilma, the Support Centre for Immigrant Persons with Disabilities, also operates in Finland. It provides service coordination and counselling for disabled immigrants and persons with chronic diseases.
Visually impaired persons
If you are blind or partially sighted, you are eligible for services for visually impaired persons. If you need aids and equipment, visit your local health and social services centre (sosiaali- ja terveyskeskus) first for a medical examination. Different wellbeing services counties may use different names for health and social services centre, such as terveysasema, terveyskeskus or hyvinvointiasema. Once a doctor has assessed your visual impairment, you may be given aids and equipment to help you in your medical rehabilitation. Read more on the InfoFinland page Services for disabled persons.
For example, if you need a special computer or household appliances due to your disability, you can get financial support for them from your local services for disabled persons (vammaispalvelut). However, this is discretionary support, in other words, it is not necessarily granted.
From the Celia library for the visually impaired (Näkövammaisten kirjasto Celia), you can borrow talking books, Braille books, e-books and relief pictures. The library also produces school books needed by visually impaired schoolchildren and students.
The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired is an organisation that strives to improve the status of the visually impaired in society. The Federation also provides a lot of useful information and services for visually impaired persons.
Hearing-impaired persons
If you need aids and equipment, visit your local health and social services centre (sosiaali- ja terveyskeskus) first for a medical examination. Different wellbeing services counties may use different names for the health and social services centre, such as ‘terveysasema’, ‘terveyskeskus’ or ‘hyvinvointiasema’. The doctor will assess your hearing impairment. After the assessment, you may be given aids and equipment to help you in your medical rehabilitation. These include hearing aids, different types of headphones and alarm systems. Apply for aids and equipment through the services for disabled persons (vammaispalvelut) of your area.
If you need interpreter services due to your hearing impairment, you can receive them in order to manage in daily life, such as work, study and attending to matters. Interpreting may include, for example, sign language interpreting or print interpreting. Apply for the right to use interpretation services from Kela.
Read more on aids and equipment as well as interpretation services on the InfoFinland page Services for disabled persons.
There are two sign languages used in Finland, Finnish and Finnish-Swedish sign language. Suvi is an online Finnish sign language dictionary.
The Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing (Kuuloliitto) and the Finnish Association of the Deaf (Kuurojen liitto) are organisations that strive to improve the status of people who are hard of hearing in society. They also provide a lot of useful information and services for hearing-impaired persons.
Persons with physical disabilities
If you have a physical disability and need aids and equipment, visit your local health and social services centre (sosiaali- ja terveyskeskus) first for a medical examination. Different wellbeing services counties may use different names for health and social services centre, such as terveysasema, terveyskeskus or hyvinvointiasema. Once a doctor has assessed your physical disability, you may be given aids and equipment to help you in your medical rehabilitation.
If you need alteration work in your home or some disability equipment has to be installed there, you may be reimbursed for them. For example, your home can be changed in such a way that it is possible to get about in a wheelchair. Fixed disability equipment include, for example, support handles, ramps and electric door openers. Read more on aids and equipment and alteration work on the InfoFinland page Services for disabled persons.
Persons with mental disabilities
Various types of special services are available to persons with mental disabilities. These include, for example, housing services, work activities and daytime activities. You can ask about these services from the services for disabled persons (vammaispalvelut) of your area. Read more about the services for persons with mental disabilities on the InfoFinland page Services for disabled persons.
There are also many organisations that offer information and support. More information is available, for example, on the websites of the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Kehitysvammaliitto) and Inclusion Finland KVTL (Kehitysvammaisten Tukiliitto).