QUESTIONNAIRE ESTONIA

EBU Questionnaire Survey on the situation of blind and partially sighted people
across the 27 EU Member States

September 2007

 

Name: Monica LOVI, a board member

Organisation: Estonian Federation of the Blind

Country: Estonia

e-mail address: monsalovi@gmail.com

Telephone number: +372 55 675 375


1/ Benefits


1.1. Does your country have any form of benefits system/ allowance for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes  End answer

1.2. If yes, is this allowance sufficient or does it need to be increased ?
Answer Needs to be increased but the benefit system has been improved a lot after EU accession End answer


2/ Transport / Mobility

 
2.1. Does your country provide blind and partially sighted people with any form of assistance for access to public transportation?
Answer Yes End answer

2.2. If yes, in what form?
 

2.2.1. Facilities allowing a better accessibility of public transport for blind and partially sighted people:
Answer Yes End answer

2.2.2. Financial aid:
Answer Yes End answer

2.2.3. If yes, is this assistance available :
At reduced cost. 
Free of charge Answer Yes End answer  
Answer Other (explanation) People with blindness and severe low vision can travel free by public transport; the accompanying person of the blind is entitled to the same benefit. End answer
Don’t know.
 


2.3. Are there any measures facilitating the mobility of blind of partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer

 2.3.1 If yes, are they:

Financing of guide dogs. Answer Yes End answer
Tactile paving.
Provision of auditory means of communication.
Provision of auditory signals at crosswalks. Answer Yes End answer
Answer Other (explanation) Auditory announcements on public city transport. End answer
Don’t know.
 

2.4. Concerning accessibility / transport in general, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
 Answer Tactile pavements, proper edges for pavements, auditory and tactile signals, mapping of the accessible routes. End answer


3/ Employment


3.1. Are private companies under any obligation to recruit a certain number of disabled people?
Answer No End answer

3.2. Are some jobs reserved in priority for:

3.2.1. Disabled people?
Answer No End answer

3.2.2. Blind or partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer


3.3. Are there any targeted wage subsidies or bonus for employers who recruit blind and partially sighted people?
Bonus.
Targeted wage subsidies. Answer  Yes End answer
Answer Other (explanation) The social insurance tax is reduced for the disabled employees.
There is a special scheme for the disabled people entering to the open labour market: their salary for the first 6 month period is paid by special funding, and some additional amount of money is paid to their support persons (also for 6 month). These schemes are introduced recently, they are arranged by governmental labour offices. Some of them are temporary and project based. Disabled persons can apply for equipping their workplace with special aids. The disabled persons already employed are not entitled to that scheme. End answer
Don’t know.


3.4. Does your country have sheltered workshops or any other kind of structure employing only blind and partially sighted people?
Answer  Yes End answer

3.5. Are there any other incentives in your country to facilitate blind and partially sighted people’s employment?
Answer  No  End answer


3.6. What is the situation with regard to the employment of blind and partially sighted women:
Under-employment.
Discrimination in recruitment.
Discrimination in wages.
Answer  Don’t know, According to the statistics of the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs disabled persons are under-employed; don’t know statistical data with regard to the blind and partially sighted women. Employment rate for disabled people is 4 times less than general  End answer

3.7. Concerning employment in general, what kind of suggestion for improvement do you have?
Answer Support for finding a suitable work for the blind and visually impaired, training, support at the working place. According to the survey from 2006, the motivation to find a work is quite low – it’s necessary to highlight good practice, motivate disabled people.  End answer



4/ Education


4.1. Does your country have specialized schools for blind of partially sighted children?
Answer  Yes End answer

4.2. Is it possible for blind of partially sighted children to attend mainstream schools?
Answer Yes End answer

4.2.1. If yes, are there any support services for blind and partially sighted children?

Provision of books in Braille. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of Braille writing devices. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices.
Support by specially trained teachers.
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.



4.3. Can blind or partially sighted students at university benefit from some form of financial aid to purchase an adapted computer?
Answer Yes End answer


4.4. With regard to education in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?
Answer It is important to develop both special schools for the blind and also improve the support system for those visually impaired students studying at mainstream schools. End answer



5. REHABILITATION CENTRES FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE


5.1. Does your country have any rehabilitation centre for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer 


5.2. Concerning rehabilitation centres, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
Increase the number of centres. 
Improve existing centres. Answer Yes End answer 
Increase the capacity of the centre. Answer Yes End answer 
Improve the training of staff (auxiliary nursing staff, special education teacher …) Answer Yes End answer 
Modernise the methods of rehabilitation to daily life. Answer Yes End answer 
Modernise professional training. Answer Yes End answer 
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.


5.3. Have you noted any progress in these areas?
Answer  Yes (explanation) The rehabilitation centres have started their work quite recently and they have to obtain a licence from the ministry of social affairs. The process of standardisation of services has started. End answer

5.3.1. If no, did you notice a decline in the quality of the rehabilitation measures for blind and partially sighted people?
Answer  No  End answer

 

6/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING


6.1. Does your country have a specialized vocational training centre for employed or unemployed blind and partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer

6.2. Can blind or partially sighted employed or unemployed people attend mainstream vocational training centres?
Answer Yes End answer

6.3. If yes, are there any support services for the blind and partially sighted?
Provision of books in Braille.
Provision of Braille writing devices.
Provision of adapted electronic devices.
Support by specially trained teachers.
Answer Other (explanation) The NGO the Estonian Association of the Blind Masseurs runs 1000 h training courses for the blind. There are also some other special training courses available, but they all are mainly project-based.  End answer  
Don’t know.

6.4. Have these measures been adopted since your country’s accession to the EU or did they exist before?
Answer Old End answer

6.5. With regard to vocational training in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?
Answer To develop the support system. To provide flexible training and re-training opportunities.  End answer
 


 

7. ACCESSIBILITY OF ICTs


7.1. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for blind people of all age categories:
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer At school and university, there is possibility to use or borrow ICT-based special aids, such as a laptop computer with screen reading software. At the special school for the blind more devices are available; mainstream students and all blind and visually impaired persons can buy special aids, including ICT –based for reduced price (10% self-contribution, the other part funded by governmental resources). The problem is that computers are not included in the list, and overall budget is too limited – there are quite long waiting periods. The training necessary for using those ICT devices is quite problematic as well – lots of training is carried through by projects or informally. End answer


7.2. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for partially sighted people of all age categories ?
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer  Same as mentioned in 7.1. End answer




8/ E-GOVERNMENT

8.1. How do you evaluate the accessibility of public websites (E-government; documents, forum, services, interactive pages, etc.)
Very good.
Good. 
Medium.
Answer Bad.  End answer
Very bad.

(Please explain): Answer It is possible with difficulties and sometimes with help from sighted person (graphical codes etc). It also demands good knowledge and skills at computers what are still quite rare, especially among older adults who are blind or visually impaired. End answer 


8.2. Is your government doing anything to make E-government websites accessible to blind and partially sighted people?
Answer Don't know End answer
 


9/ EU INFLUENCE

9. Do you think that the EU has had a positive influence on the situation of blind and partially sighted people in your country ?
Answer Yes End answer

(Please explain): Answer The awareness about special needs is much higher; there is no need to explain to our decision makers the issue of equal rights – it is accepted as an European value. End answer 

 

10/ Finally, do you have any expectation with regard to your country’s belonging to the EU?


10. Do you have expectations with regard to:
Employment. Answer Yes End answer
Education.  Answer Yes End answer
Vocational training.  Answer Yes End answer
Rehabilitation centres.  Answer Yes End answer
Transport / mobility.  Answer Yes End answer
Accessibility of buildings and traffic lanes.
Access to information (accessibility of ICTs) Answer Yes End answer
Financial support.  Answer Yes End answer
Gender equality.
Other (please explain)
 

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