In recent years the aim in the planning of buildings and traffic arrangements has been
to attain a built environment where all people can cope independently. Increasingly
architects, traffic planners and developers understand that houses without lifts, small
cars and inaccessible trains and inaccessible services belong to the past. Modern
technology provides good opportunities for this. But in order to ensure progress
disability organisations and authorities need to be constantly vigilant, since Finnish
society is not yet accessible to all people.
Stairs or lifts which are too small or lacking altogether, cramped bathrooms, high
thresholds and narrow doors restrict the accessibility of the built environment. Buildings
need to be adapted for children, older persons and disabled persons. The shaping of the
built environment is guided by legislation and standards. Reformed construction
regulations concern new buildings and alterations and renovations. There are several
stages from a good plan to the completed new building, and ignorance and fear of extra
costs often result in poor and unworkable solutions. Understanding of these issues is
continuously promoted in the education of construction professionals.
The goal of traffic policy is public transport accessible to all. The accessibility of
vehicles is not guided by society through legislation. The Ministry of Transport and
Communications aims to promote the accessibility of transport through research,
information and co-operation of various actors.
The awareness of the State Railways of the needs of disabled passengers has increased.
These needs have been taken into account in the deployment of new trains, but most of the
old carriages in use still have high steps and narrow passages. Some of the old carriages
have been altered to be more functional. Railway carriages are in use for many years,
which means that the problems continue to exist for years.
Buses are the only means of public transport in sparsely populated areas of the
country, and the same vehicles are used for a long time. Only a part of long-distance
buses are accessible to older persons and persons with disabilities. Improving their
accessibility is a big challenge for bus traffic. In recent years, low-floor buses have
been taken into use in local traffic. It has been decided that in Greater Helsinki new
buses and trams will be accessible to persons with mobility impairment.
In rural areas part of public transport is managed by spacious taxicabs, some of which
are furnished with hoists. Furthermore, there are special taxis equipped for transporting
wheelchair users. These taxis are the most important means of transport for seriously
disabled people in Finland. The home municipality of the passengers who are allowed to use
these taxis cover part of the costs so that the passengers only have to pay the same fee
as is charged in public transport.
Owing to long distances the use of a private car is the most important means of
transport for many people. Seriously disabled people can be granted financial assistance
for buying a car, as well as for necessary alterations to it.
Air traffic has generally speaking served persons with disabilities well. However,
increased competition has meant that smaller aeroplanes, which have no wheelchair access,
have been used increasingly on domestic routes. The service capacity of domestic air
traffic has deteriorated recently.
In leisure time Finns are used to travelling by ferry to neighbouring countries.
Passenger ferries are in general modern and accessible. Terminals and passenger services
are important when travelling, but many terminal buildings are old and scattered, making
travelling difficult. The insecurity of access to information and personal service are
constant problems encountered by persons with disabilities when they travel.
It is particularly important to remove obstacles to communication for persons suffering
from sensory defects. Finnish disability organisations have been pioneers in developing
accessible models of information. The public administration has also contributed to
introducing and financing new methods.
Deaf and hearing impaired people are able to follow what happens in the world daily
through teletext and TV news in sign language. The need for topical information is also
met by the monthly video bulletin produced by the Finnish Association of the Deaf and
distributed free of charge to the deaf. It is also possible to receive personal
interpreter service.
The use of information technology has increased visually impaired people’s access
to information: e.g. the largest Finnish newspaper is available on the Internet, where it
can be read by the appropriate technology. A library for the visually impaired provides
both fiction and study material for visually impaired people. Disability organisations
co-operate in publishing books in plain language. A regular newspaper in plain language
contributes to satisfying the need for topical information.