QUESTIONNAIRE ESTONIA

EBU Questionnaire Survey on the education, vocational training and rehabilitation of blind and partially sighted women across the 27 EU Member States

September 2008

 

Name: Monica Lovi

Organisation: Estonian Federation of the Blind

Country: Estonia

e-mail address: pimedateliit@hot.ee ; monsalovi@gmail.com

Telephone number: +6411 972, +372 55 675 375

I. Attendance to special or mainstream schools


1. - Is it possible for blind and partially sighted children to attend special schools in your country?
Answer Yes End answer

 
2. Is it possible for blind and partially sighted children to attend mainstream schools in your country?
Answer Yes End answer

 If No, please explain:

 


3. - In case there are both special and mainstream schools do the majority of visually impaired girls attend (Please tick one of the following):

Special schools. Answer Yes  End answer
Mainstream schools
Don’t know
No information or statistics available in my country
Please explain:  Answer There is no official statistics available on that, so the answer is based on the fact that most of the children with blindness and severe low vision attend special school in Estonia. End answer


4. – Do male and female pupils and students in practice have the same rights and opportunities to access the education system at all levels?
 Answer Yes End answer

 5. – Do female pupils and students receive in special education adequate support measures among the following:
- Books in Braille or large print                                  Answer Yes End answer
- Recorded texts                                                          Answer Yes End answer
- Braillers                                                                      Answer Yes End answer
- PCs with speech synthesizers or Braille display  Answer Yes End answer
- Texts in electronic format
- Financial support
- Support teachers
- Assistants at home
- Other (explanation)


6. - From your point of view, is this support in special education equally available to blind and partially sighted boys and girls?
Answer Yes End answer

If no, please explain

7. – Do female pupils and students receive in mainstream education adequate support measures among the following:

- Books in Braille or large print                                 Answer Yes End answer
- Recorded texts                                                         Answer Yes End answer
- Braillers                                                                     Answer Yes End answer
- PCs with speech synthesizers or Braille display
- Texts in electronic format
- Financial support
- Support teachers 
- Assistants at home 
Other (explanation)
 


8. - From your point of view, is this support in mainstream education equally available to blind and partially sighted boys and girls?
Answer yes End answer

If no, please explain


9. – From your point of view and experience are the teachers of blind and partially sighted women and girls qualified enough?
Answer  Don’t know  End answer

If no, please explain  Answer The teachers are qualified in special schools but the situation may be varied in mainstream schools. End answer

 

II. Comparison between female and male pupils and students


10. – Do female pupils and students in practice have the same opportunities to participate in the general education system on an equal basis with male pupils and students?
Answer  Yes End answer
No information/statistics available in my country
Don’t know


11. – Which qualifications do the majority of blind and partially sighted women have (Please tick one of the following)?
- Primary school level 
- Secondary School level
- Vocational training courses
- University level
- Postgraduate level
- No information available in my country
Answer  Don’t know  End answer
- Other (Please explain) Answer  It depends on the age of the person, no relevant statitics available but all the above-mentioned levels may be found End answer

12. – Do blind and partially sighted women access the academic career on an equal basis with blind and partially sighted men?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information available in my country
- Don’t know

If no, please explain.

 

III. Physical education

13. – Is it possible for blind and partially sighted girls to participate in physical education classes on an equal basis with non disabled girls?
Answer  Yes in special schools but not in mainstream schools End answer
- No information available in my country
- Don’t know

14. - Is it possible for blind and partially sighted girls to participate in physical education classes on an equal basis with their blind and partially sighted male peers?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information available in my country
- Don’t know

15. – Are there specific services, centres or courses for sports activities aimed at a better awareness of the potential and physical skills of visually impaired women?
Answer  No End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know

16. – Are there any courses for visually impaired women aimed at acquiring a proper posture and adequate body language?
Answer  No End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know
If no, please explain: Answer  In some extent it is provided through rehabilitation service system  End answer

IV. Rehabilitation


17. – Do blind and partially sighted women access rehabilitation services and centres on an equal basis with blind and partially sighted men?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know
If no, please explain:
 

18. – Do blind and partially sighted girls attend specific daily living courses?
Answer  Yes in special schools but not in mainstream schools End answer
- Don’t know

19. – Are there any personal care/look-good/makeup courses?
Answer  No End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know
If yes, please specify

 


V. Reproductive health education


20. – Do young blind and partially sighted women have the opportunity to attend general and specific sexual education and is it possible for them to get information and training materials in accessible format?
Answer  No End answer
- Don’t know

 


VI. Music education


21. – As music education is highly formative for everybody and playing a musical instrument facilitates integration, do women have the opportunity the opportunity in your country to access music education either as amateurs or as professionals?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know


22. – Are there any visually impaired women who teach music education?
- In special schools Answer  Don’t know End answer
- In mainstream schools Answer Don’t know End answer
If no, please explain.


23. – Are there any blind or partially sighted women who have established themselves as concert performers?
- Yes
- No information/statistics available in my country
Answer   Don’t know End answer
 

VII. Other training courses


24. – Have there ever been any leadership courses, neuro-linguistic programming courses or public speaking courses open to or mainly targeted at blind and partially sighted women?
Answer  No End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know

25. – Are these courses:
- organised regularly
- never organised Answer  No End answer
- organized but women did not participate

26. – Who offers these training courses?
- mainstream services
- special services for blind and partially sighted persons?
 


VIII. Vocational training centres


27. – Are there any special vocational training centres carrying out courses for blind and partially sighted women?
Answer  No End answer

28. – Is it possible for blind and partially sighted women to attend vocational training courses in mainstream facilities?
Answer  Yes End answer

29. – Do those attending vocational training courses receive texts/notes/handouts in accessible formats?
Answer  No End answer

30. – Are blind and partially sighted women supported by specialized staff?
- At school
- At university
- At vocational training centres
Answer Other (explanation)  no specialized staff specially for blind and partially sighted girls End answer
 

IX. Access to information


31. - Do visually impaired women have access to new technologies and information on an equal basis:

- with visually impaired men
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know

- with non disabled persons
Answer  No End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country


32. – Do blind and partially sighted women get technical aids in order to access information? :
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know


If yes, where is it offered?
- At school Answer  Yes End answer
- At university
- At work
- At home Answer  Yes End answer
Other (please, specify)


33. – If yes, what kind of support is received? (Please explain)
 Answer  They get the technical aids which are included into the official list of aids for the disabled people with reduced price (10%-50% own contribution), the expensive devices should be suggested by the rehabilitation team; this is covered by state; technical aids for the students of special school for the blind and visually impaired are available at school. End answer

 


X. Mobility and transport


34. - From your point of view, do blind and partially sighted girls and
women benefit from special support facilities/concessions when travelling to school or university?
Answer  Yes  End answer

If yes, what kind of support?
- Financial aid Answer  Yes End answer
- Reduced fares on public transport for them Answer  Yes End answer
- Reduced fares on public transport for their accompanying persons Answer  Yes End answer
-Taxis Free-of-charge Answer  Yes End answer
- Permanent personal assistant
- Special transport for disabled people
 Other (Please explain)

 

35. – Do blind and partially sighted women have the same level of mobility independence as blind and partially sighted men?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know
If no, please explain:


36. - When travelling to school, university or training courses blind and partially sighted women mainly move (Please tick one of the following):
Answer  Accompanied by a family member End answer
- Alone, with a white cane
- With a guide dog
- With a GPS and a white cane
- With a GPS
- Accompanied by paid staff
- Accompanied by a volunteer


XI. E.U. impact

37. – Do you think that the European Union has had any impact on the status of blind and partially sighted women in your country?
Answer  Yes, a positive impact  End answer
Yes, a decisive impact
Please explain your choice

No impact
Please explain

Yes, but a negative impact
Please explain

Don't know
No information available
Other (please explain)


38. – To sum up, do you think that education, vocational training and rehabilitation in your country are carried out along the lines of the dictates of the equal opportunities policy?
Answer  Yes End answer
- No information/statistics available in my country
- Don’t know  •
If no, please explain Answer  Even the answer may be yes, there is a lot what needs to be done, specially concerning the access (mobility) and study materials in appropriate format. End answer


39. – Do you have any expectations with regard to (Please tick one or more of the following):

Answer  Education End answer
Answer  Vocational training End answer
Answer  Leadership and Capacity Building courses End answer
Answer  Mobility End answer
Answer  Access to information End answer
Other (please explain)

 

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