Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Finland’s Supported Decision-Making Services, Ask about Budget Cuts for Disability Services and Employment Support for Persons with Disabilities
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its consideration of the initial report of Finland on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Committee Experts commended reform to legislation on supported decision-making, while asking questions on cuts to the budget for disability services, and on measures to promote the employment of persons with disabilities.
Rosemary Kayess, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, welcomed positive reform to supported decision-making services made by the State though the disability services act. How did the State party ensure that legislation on supported decision-making was being implemented?
Markus Schefer, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Finland, said that in recent years, there had been significant reductions in the social services budget for persons with disabilities. Did these cuts lead to retrogression?
Mr. Schefer said planned revisions to the disability services act could lead to people in the older age bracket no longer falling under the umbrella of the act, except in cases of serious accidents, as the act treated disability in older age as normal. What was the State party’s assessment of the proposed revision?
Natalia Guala Beathyate, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, said there was a low rate of persons with disabilities participating in the labour market – over 50 per cent were not employed or seeking work. What additional measures would the State party take to promote the employment of persons with disabilities?
Introducing the report, Krista Oinonen, Director of the Unit for Human Rights Courts and Conventions, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and head of the delegation, said Finland’s national disability policy was grounded in human rights. It aimed to build an inclusive society where equality, self-determination and participation were realised in practice through accessible services, inclusive legislation and cross-sectoral cooperation.
The delegation said Finland had provided training on supported decision-making for disability service providers. Persons with disabilities had the right to receive supported decision-making services when making important life decisions. Support workers did not have the right to influence these decisions.
The Government was working to find innovative ways to maintain the level of social services with lower funds, the delegation said. The new disability services act increased funding for disability services by around 30 million euros per year.
The delegation added that the Government sought to introduce a new provision to the disability services act in autumn of this year, which aimed to increase the predictability of services. Older people could receive disability services if they were in an accident or had a long-term illness. Experts were currently reviewing feedback and adjusting the provision.
The delegation also said Finland had set up a working group that was devising measures to promote flexible work arrangements for persons with disabilities and raise their employment rate. The national action plan on the Convention included an objective to raise awareness on subsidies for the employment of persons with disabilities.
In concluding remarks, Sanna Ahola from Finland’s Human Rights Centre said the speed and unpredictability of cuts to civil society organizations’ budgets had inhibited their activities, and austerity measures had reduced the impact of State services for persons with disabilities. She said she looked forward to the Committee’s recommendations for addressing these issues.
Ms. Oinonen, in her concluding remarks, thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue, which had shed light on remaining challenges. The State party looked forward to receiving the concluding observations, which would be translated into national languages and disseminated widely.
Ms. Guala Beathyate, in concluding remarks, said all of Finland’s legislative amendments, policies and budgetary allocations needed to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities and not allow retrogression. The Committee would support the State party to implement the Convention and create a happy society in which no one was left behind.
The delegation of Finland consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Justice; Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Education and Culture; Ministry of Transport and Communications; Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment; Ministry of Social Affairs and Health; Ministry of the Environment; Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Parliament of Finland; and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Finland at the end of its thirty-third session, which concludes on 26 August. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s thirty-third session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public on Tuesday, 26 August at 5:30 p.m. to close its thirty-third session.
Report
The Committee has before it the initial report of Finland (CRPD/C/FIN/1).
Presentation of Report
KRISTA OINONEN, Director of the Unit for Human Rights Courts and Conventions, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and head of the delegation, said Finland valued the opportunity to hear the Committee’s recommendations, which would guide the State’s continued work. The State’s vision was of a society - both globally and nationally - where equality, inclusion and human dignity were realised for all.
Rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities, were a long-standing priority in Finland's foreign and security policy. Finland worked to ensure that disability inclusion was embedded across the United Nations system, humanitarian action and sustainable development. Ms. Oinonen presented Finland’s efforts to promote disability rights and inclusion in international fora, including the Global Disability Forum, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Finland was one of only a few countries in the world to have appointed an Ambassador for Disability Inclusion. The recruitment process for a new Ambassador was currently underway.
Finland’s national disability policy was grounded in human rights. It aimed to build an inclusive society where equality, self-determination and participation were realised in practice through accessible services, inclusive legislation and cross-sectoral cooperation. The right to self-determination and the human rights and equality of persons with disabilities needed to be honoured in policymaking, and the smooth running of their daily lives needed to be ensured when designing any services. Attention was paid to guaranteeing inclusion and hearing the views of persons with disabilities.
In August 2023, the Government issued a statement on promoting equality and non-discrimination in Finnish society. As part of the implementation of the statement, in October last year, the Government reviewed the decisions, conclusions and recommendations issued to Finland by international human rights treaty bodies, which had led to follow-up measures. It was committed to a new review of recommendations later this year.
As part of Finland's third national action plan on fundamental and human rights, adopted in 2021, the State party had developed a set of human rights indicators to track the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities, helping to identify progress, address challenges and ensure that no one was left behind.
The Constitution of Finland guaranteed non-discrimination for persons with disabilities, and the Convention provided a permanent foundation for national policy. There was no single definition of disability in use in Finland: services were granted based on individual needs. This approach respected the human right based model of disability and intersectional approach.
The new disability services act, which unified services for all persons with disabilities, entered into force on 1 January 2025. Its implementation was a key ongoing task. The new act promoted equality, independent living and inclusion of persons with disabilities; its basic principle was that every person with disability needed to have access to services that met their individual needs.
At the national level, each Government term saw the adoption of a cross-sectoral national action plan to advance the Convention. The current, third action plan contained 13 thematic areas and 75 measures. It emphasised inclusion and equality of persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on the rights of women and children with disabilities, an intersectional approach, and raising awareness of disability rights. The plan was coordinated by the Advisory Board on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which brought together representatives from ministries, disability organizations, and other key stakeholders.
The truth and reconciliation process for the deaf and sign language users - the first of its kind in the world - began on 5 June 2025, examining both historical and current impacts of public authorities' actions. Its aims included identifying discriminatory structures, increasing awareness of sign languages and culture, and proposing changes to improve the situation of the deaf and sign language users.
Finland had this year reformed its system of learning support across all levels of education, which shifted the focus to individual needs rather than medical diagnoses, strengthened inclusion, and ensured early access to support. To make this reform possible, the Government had allocated nearly 100 million euros in additional annual funding. At the same time, Finland was shaping a national vision for higher education and research that aimed to improve accessibility, widen participation for under-represented groups, promote students’ wellbeing, and ensure equal opportunities at every level of the education system.
Accessibility was a key priority in Finland's national transport system plan for 2026-2037, which covered all modes of passenger and goods transport. The Ministry of Transport and Communications had also published a vision for an accessible transport system. Covering infrastructure, mobility services, means of transport and data, the vision ensured smooth, safe and independent travel.
In the communications and media sector, Finland had efficiently implemented European Union accessibility regulations such as the audiovisual media services directive and the accessibility directive. It had also introduced a one-stop-shop model, with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency responsible for monitoring accessibility, advising stakeholders, and handling reports of non-compliance. Operators were required to prepare accessibility plans to ensure continuous improvement in their services.
Finland's national climate change adaptation plan, an important tool for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, was published in 2023. The plan included a risk and vulnerability assessment based on up-to-date scientific knowledge, which served as a basis for developing adaptation measures.
Opening Statement by National Human Rights Institution Representative
MIKKO JORONEN, Human Rights Centre (Finland), said that the right of persons with disabilities to participate meaningfully in matters affecting their lives was increasingly being neglected by the Government. Persons with disabilities were affected by cuts to social security legislation and to revisions to the disability services act. Austerity measures had reduced the ability of persons with disabilities to increase their income. There was an urgent need for policies that supported persons with disabilities to find work. The Government had not implemented any such targeted policies, and the recent removal of the protected portion of the unemployment benefit made it harder for persons with disabilities to engage in part-time work while receiving the benefit.
Disability services did not guarantee rights to independent living – persons with disabilities continued to be placed in residential homes that functioned as institutions, and the Government had drastically reduced housing grants for persons with disabilities. The Government had also chosen not to adopt the annex of the European Union accessibility act related to the built environment. The implementation of the Committee’s decision in the case of SK vs. Finland had been inadequate. Although a new support service had been introduced, it was not sufficiently comprehensive, and the individual’s situation had not been resolved. The Committee needed to support and restore the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities in Finland.
Questions by a Committee Expert
MARKUS SCHEFER, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Finland, said the State party had shown enormous dedication to fulfil its Convention obligations. However, in recent times, there had been a shift in the State party’s stance on disability, and there were signs of retrogression in terms of budget and policies.
For over a decade, Finland had been working on legislation on self-determination. A project was launched in 2021 to develop this legislation, but to this day, no legislation had been passed. What plans were there to bring legislation to fruition? Why had the process taken so long?
Finland now provided social services through 21 “welfare counties”. There were reportedly shortcomings and delays in the provision of guidance and services by these counties. The reduction of funding from the State for these counties reduced their leeway in providing services. The complaints procedure regarding services reportedly led to lengthy, drawn-out processes. How did the State respond to this?
In recent years, there had been significant reductions in the social services budget for persons with disabilities. Did these cuts lead to retrogression? Planned revisions to section two of the disability services act would introduce a “life stages” model of disability services. This could lead to people in the older age bracket no longer falling under the umbrella of the act, except in cases of serious accidents, as the act treated disability in older age as normal. This seemed to be a step backwards. What was the State party’s assessment of the proposed revision? Had an impact assessment of the revision been carried out?
The disability services act required that persons with disabilities needed to be able to define what services they needed, but persons with intellectual disabilities could not do this, and so did not receive these services. The consequence was institutionalisation. What had the State party done to heed the Committee’s recommendations related to the case of SK vs. Finland?
It was concerning that there was limited information provided by the State party on the situation of Saami persons with disabilities. In what way were disability services adapted to the cultural specificities of this population?
The Government equality programme addressed women with disabilities and was very aspirational but abstract. What measures were in place to achieve the goals of the programme for women with disabilities?
The building act pertained only to new buildings and buildings being renovated. Were there programmes planned to include existing buildings under the act? Was Finland considering opting in to annex three of the European accessibility act? In 2022, the Ministry of Transport had published an excellent report on the accessibility of public transport. Was it being used to adapt legislation?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said no legislation on self-determination had been submitted to Parliament, but a monitoring group had been appointed for the project on clients’ and patients’ right to self-determination. This was an extremely complicated matter, addressing a range of fields. Previous efforts to draft broad legislation had failed; the State party was now devising legislation that addressed narrower fields. The new disability services act had provisions that strengthened self-determination.
There was a supervision system in place for service providers and organisers in welfare counties. Patients and clients were provided with information on how they could lodge complaints related to service provision. The length of time taken to process a complaint depended on the nature of the complaint; some complaints took around a year to process. The Government was working to find innovative ways to maintain the level of social services with lower funds.
The new disability services act entered into force at the beginning of this year. It supported persons with disabilities to access support services. Social welfare professionals met with persons with disabilities and made individual assessments of their needs, deciding which legislation was applicable to their needs. The aim of the reform was not to reduce the number of recipients of services but to provide more targeted services.
The Government sought to introduce a new provision to the act regarding life stages in autumn of this year, which aimed to increase the predictability of services and emphasised the continuity of services when transferring from one life stage to another. Older people could receive disability services if they were in an accident or had a long-term illness. Experts were currently reviewing feedback, including from non-governmental organizations, and were adjusting it. The State party was monitoring the implementation of the new act and assessing challenges in implementation. Training programmes on the revised act had been developed for social service professionals.
The Government had issued three responses to the Committee’s decision related to SK vs. Finland. An assessment of the needs of the person involved had been carried out. The necessary steps had been taken to give effect to the Committee’s decision, including through the new disability services act, which secured personal assistance for persons with disabilities who needed support in expressing their will.
In 2023, there were around 11,000 Saami persons living in Finland. There was no statistic on the number of Saami persons with disabilities, but it was likely that around two to four per cent of the Saami had a disability, in line with the rate for the general population. Saami Parliament was consulted regarding the implementation of the national action plan on the Convention, which included measures for supporting the Saami. A Saami-speaking social worker was stationed in Lapland.
Women and girls with disabilities were a key priority in Finland’s international human rights policy. Women’s rights were being mainstreamed in all initiatives the Government was taking, including the national action plan on the Convention.
Building regulations on accessibility did not cover existing buildings. There was no revision of the building act underway in this regard. The State party had legislative processes underway related to accessible outdoor public areas. The Ministry of Transport’s 2022 report was used as grounds for the Ministry’s 2023 vision for the transport system. The report noted several problems, and the State had worked with organizations of persons with disabilities to devise ways of addressing these.
Questions by Committee Experts
MARKUS SCHEFER, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Finland, said funding for organizations of persons with disabilities and the State Advisory Body on Disability within the national human rights institution had been reduced. Could these organizations still perform their functions to the degree necessary? Had measures been taken to improve funding? What measures was the State party taking to ensure that deaf persons could participate in cultural activities and learn sign language, in the context of plans to close the oversight body on sign language? Were there plans to address negative stereotypes related to persons with disabilities and raise awareness of the Convention?
Committee Experts asked about measures to ensure that pre-natal screenings were not used to pressure parents to abort their children if Down syndrome was detected; how Finland intended to prevent violence against women with intellectual disabilities and support victims; whether the State party planned to reform the child protection act to reduce or prohibit the use of restraint measures; why persons with Down syndrome were being discriminated against; and steps being taken to ensure equal access to electronic identification tools for persons with disabilities.
One Committee Expert said it was painful to note backsliding on disability rights in Finland in recent years. The Committee hoped that the State would soon return to spearheading the Convention.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Finland had traditionally given generous funding to non-governmental organizations; recent funding cuts had been a break in this trend. The Government planned to stabilise funding streams and was supporting non-governmental organizations to seek alternative sources of funding. Funding for the national human rights institution would be increased soon.
The State had strong legislation on non-discrimination, and the public had been made aware of the Convention through the activities of the State and organizations of persons with disabilities. The full text of the Convention had been published in national languages, indigenous language and sign language, as well as in an easy-to-read version. One of the objectives of the national action plan on the Convention was to raise awareness of the Convention and disability rights.
The advisory board for sign language affairs was set up in 2021 for a four-year term, which would end this year. The Government was considering merging this board with the advisory board on language affairs in future as a cost-saving measure. The Ombudsperson had recently issued recommendations related to increasing the availability of sign language training.
Finland had legislation on health care professionals’ duties, which required professionals to explain different treatment options available. Mothers had the right to choose whether to terminate pregnancies and could issue complaints if they felt they had been pressured to terminate a pregnancy. The Government was reviewing child protection legislation, with a view to revising provisions to further regulate the use of restrictive measures.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ROSEMARY KAYESS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, asked how Finland ensured that its laws and policies addressed the needs of persons with disabilities in humanitarian actions and disaster risk reduction schemes. Guidance on civil defence shelters in the rescue act did not address accessibility. How were persons with disabilities, including Saami persons with disabilities on the Åland Islands, included in the design and implementation of these policies? Had the requirement for registration for emergency text messages been removed? Why had video calls providing sign language interpretation services in emergency situations been discontinued?
Finland had traditionally welcomed refugees and asylum seekers, including those with disabilities. Why had the State recently cut the number of refugees and asylum seekers it received?
Was reform to the guardianship act in line with the Convention? The Committee welcomed the positive reform to supported decision-making services though the disability services act. How did the State party ensure that legislation on supported decision-making was being implemented, and were there plans to extend supported decision-making beyond disability services?
Were there procedural rules ensuring age-appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities in the justice system? Was there training for the judiciary on procedural accommodation and access to justice for persons with disabilities? What rules triggered the provision of procedural accommodation? Why were there significant delays in court processes involving persons with disabilities?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Finland was revising the emergency powers act to improve the management of emergencies based on the recommendations of a study into the act by a dedicated working group. The revised act would consider the human rights impact of emergency measures. The Government would seek public submissions regarding the draft revision.
The Finnish climate act was revised in 2022. Based on this act, several climate policies had been prepared, and the Government would appoint a Saami Climate Council for a fixed term. The Government had held consultations with Disability Councils when developing the national climate adaptation plan.
Finland was creating a new real-time emergency text service which would be implemented by June 2027. Prior registration was no longer needed for an existing emergency text service for deaf people. The sign language video call service had been discontinued because it could not provide real-time subtitling; however, there were plans to implement this service in the future.
The Government’s asylum policy focused particularly on the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities, who were prioritised in the selection process for asylum claims.
A draft revision to the guardianship act had been submitted to Parliament in June 2025. Changes related to when guardians needed permission to perform certain financial transactions, and to power of attorney rights. The position of clients and guarantors was not weakened by the revision.
The State party had provided training on supported decision-making for disability service providers. Persons with disabilities had the right to receive supported decision-making services when making important life decisions. Support workers did not have the right to influence these decisions.
There was legislation on procedural accommodation in the justice sector. Accommodations differed depending on the court in which the case was heard. Courts could appoint support persons for victims and pay their legal fees in certain cases. There were also provisions on restrictions of legal capacity. Free interpretation was offered for criminal procedures. Trainings had been provided for judges, attorneys and support persons related to disability rights and the Convention.
Questions by Committee Experts
ROSEMARY KAYESS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, said there was insufficient accessible housing in the community, and this situation was getting worse with funding cuts. Many service providers did not offer persons with disabilities the option of living in the community. What measures were in place to address this situation? The Committee considered group homes to be a form of institutionalisation.
Finland viewed persons living on the Åland Islands as having emigrated from Finland, and thus did not provide them with services. What was the State party doing to resolve jurisdictional issues related to the Islands and support residents with disabilities?
State legislation allowed for involuntary detention and treatment on the basis of impairment. There had been cases before the European Court of Human Rights on involuntary treatment and there were two pending cases on this matter. How did the State prevent involuntary treatment and coercive practices against persons with disabilities in institutions, prisons and educational settings? What oversight mechanisms existed related to harmful practices against persons with disabilities? Several of Finland’s action plans addressed violence against persons with disabilities, but they did not have an intersectional approach and lacked concrete prevention measures. How would the State address this weakness?
Ms. Kayess welcomed legislative efforts to protect intersex persons from violence. What steps had been taken to protect intersex children from unnecessary medical interventions?
Committee Experts asked questions on the position of the State party regarding the draft additional protocol related to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, which was not in line with the Convention; plans to repeal the sterilisation law of 1983; and reasons why the State had restricted healthcare access for undocumented migrants with disabilities to emergency cases only, and plans to revise this legislation.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the current Government accepted 500 refugees per year, down from the 1,000 accepted by the previous Government. Some 10 per cent of these persons were persons with disabilities; their relative share had not diminished.
Information on emergency planning and evacuations was provided in Finnish sign language on Government websites. Some 94 per cent of emergency service plans included targeted measures for persons with disabilities. The State had adopted guides on emergency plans and civil defence shelters, in which the rights of persons with disabilities were considered. Vulnerable people were considered in the planning of evacuations. The rescue act obliged care institution operators to draw up emergency evacuation plans. Emergency warnings needed to be issued in all Saami languages spoken in Finland.
Service providers were increasingly providing individual housing for persons with disabilities. The Government aimed to completely discontinue institutional care in the long run and provide community-based services. There were few institutions for persons with disabilities remaining in Finland; at the end of 2024, there were 341 persons with disabilities living in institutions. The State had abolished the institutionalisation of children with disabilities; those who could not be cared for at home were placed in small group homes. The act on housing services included measures supporting independent living for persons with disabilities. Services for persons with disabilities could be delivered to their homes and needed to support their needs, right to self-determination and privacy.
The new disability service act increased funding for disability services by around 30 million euros per year. Several workshops had been held with organizations of persons with disabilities in the process of revising the act.
There were some jurisdictions on the Åland Islands which were the responsibility of the autonomous Åland Islands government. The State party was discussing with the autonomous government and was working to address the situation of persons with disabilities on the Islands.
Finland had an act on care of persons with intellectual disabilities, which contained provisions on involuntary special care, which was always used as a last option when the person involved was likely to endanger themselves or others. The act contained provisions regarding the use of restrictive measures and regarding professionals’ liability for damages, strengthening legal protections for persons with disabilities from the abuse of power. Restrictive measures were used only as a last resort.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman had been designated as the national preventive mechanism against torture. It had wide powers to inspect places of detention and paid special attention to the needs of persons with disabilities.
The State party had not identified problems with the draft additional protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, which was in line with Finland’s legislation. The Government was aware of the Committee’s position on the draft protocol, as well as those of organizations of persons with disabilities, and had spearheaded a report on the necessity of the protocol. There was a need to develop new legislation on sterilisation, but such legislation was not currently being prepared.
A working group had been appointed to reform legislation on transgender and intersex persons to strengthen self-determination. Training on intersex and transgender persons had been provided to medical professionals. Legislation did not make surgery on intersex persons mandatory.
There was a proposal to amend the act on social services to remove the obligation of welfare counties to provide non-essential treatment to third country nationals living in the country illegally. Parliament had not discussed this proposal yet. The rationale for this measure was the limited State budget. It aimed to give the signal that Finland was not an attractive place for undocumented migrants.
Questions by a Committee Expert
NATALIA GUALA BEATHYATE, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, asked whether adaptions required by the European accessibility act had been incorporated on Government websites. Were there accessible audio-visual services for persons with disabilities and could they lodge complaints related to a lack of accessible information?
There had been violations of the right to privacy for persons with disabilities in their homes. How did the State party ensure that in-home services provided to persons with disabilities fully respected their privacy rights? Was there an official register of violations of persons with disabilities’ privacy rights and an oversight mechanism for welfare services? How did the State party monitor and ensure the quality of in-home services provided for children in the context of budget cuts and decentralised services?
How was the State party ensuring that municipalities could maintain the provision of specialised teachers and promote inclusive education in the context of decentralisation measures and budget cuts? How were segregated education centres being transformed into inclusive education facilities?
The Committee was concerned about access to medical treatment and medication for persons with disabilities, following recent legislative amendments. How did the State party ensure continued access? What progress had been made in reviewing the medical fee system? What telemedicine services were provided for persons with disabilities? How many rehabilitation service providers were there? Had the State made progress in developing the national rehabilitation system?
There was a low rate of persons with disabilities participating in the labour market –over 50 per cent were not employed or seeking work. What additional measures would the State party take to promote the employment of persons with disabilities?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said a study of the housing situation of persons with intellectual disabilities had been published recently. The study found that most of these persons lived independently, while one-fourth lived in institutions. There was variation between regions regarding the availability of accessible housing.
The State supervisory authority for the European accessibility act had promoted the provision of accessible information through online workshops and other measures. The authority had conducted a survey of the accessibility of public websites, finding that no Government authority provided fully accessible online information. The Government was taking steps to address this situation, but this process took time.
Social service clients’ and healthcare patients’ privacy needed to be respected. Individuals could lodge complaints to national or regional supervisory authorities regarding violations of their privacy rights. Welfare service providers needed to self-monitor and carry out inspections, and supervisory authorities could also carry out inspections. The main goal of the disability services act was to ensure that children with disabilities could live in their family home when possible. The State party was monitoring the implementation of the act.
The State party had recently carried out major reforms to learning support measures, which allocated additional funding for training of 150 additional special education teachers to address the shortage of teachers in the field. They would largely be placed in local, inclusive schools, but were also qualified to work in segregated settings. An additional 100 million euros per year had recently been allocated to the education sector; there had been no cuts to the budget for learning support measures. The State sought to ensure that children received early childhood education in an inclusive setting in their local school. Placement in a segregated setting was a last resort.
Persons with disabilities received medical services in accordance with the same rules and procedures as for other persons. Services provided under the disability services act were free of charge; fees could be charged for other medical services, but these could not exceed the cost for providing the service. Administrative reviews of fees could be requested when recipients were unable to pay.
In 2022, the labour participation rate for persons with minor disabilities in Finland was 70 per cent. Finland ranked eighth in the European Union in terms of the labour participation rate of persons with disabilities. There were around 35,000 job seekers with disabilities as of June 2025. The State party had set up a working group that was devising measures to promote flexible work arrangements for persons with disabilities and raise their employment rate. The national action plan on the Convention included an objective to raise awareness on subsidies for the employment of persons with disabilities and on reasonable accommodation measures for persons with disabilities in the workplace.
Questions by Committee Experts
Committee Experts asked questions on the progress made by the truth and reconciliation process for deaf people and sign language users, and whether deaf people were participating in the process; measures to remove barriers to information for university students with disabilities; complaints mechanisms related to insufficiencies in information accessibility, and training provided to teachers on information accessibility; and whether persons with disabilities were incorporated in professional teams that decided on services provided in communities.
Questions were also asked on whether there was a difference in suicide rates for persons with disabilities and the general population; whether the State party had data on persons with disabilities in the education system disaggregated by impairment; measures to encourage persons with disabilities to run for election and hold public positions; mechanisms to ensure that doctors and medical staff received training on providing care and information to persons with disabilities; services available to deaf-blind persons to support their access to quality education; whether persons with disabilities who were formerly employed in sheltered workshops had been supported to transition to the open labour market; and measures to challenge stereotypes related to persons with intellectual disabilities.
NATALIA GUALA BEATHYATE, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, asked about the percentage of tax revenue allocated to services for persons with disabilities.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said work had begun on the truth and reconciliation process for deaf persons and sign language users. Deaf persons and sign language users would be included in the process. The secretariat for the process was still vetting employees; its work would begin in earnest at a later date.
The non-discrimination act required employers to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. The law allowed for positive discrimination in certain cases. Persons with intellectual disabilities were trained in workplace skills and supported to find work through the job coach programme.
There was no data collected on suicide rates for persons with disabilities. Finnish education providers were not allowed to collect disaggregated data on the impairments of pupils. There were around 3,000 pupils in the segregated system as of 2025.
Legislation required health care workers to respect the human dignity of patients and provide sign language interpretation as needed.
Closing Remarks
SANNA AHOLA, Human Rights Centre (Finland), said there were clear setbacks in the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities in Finland. The main reason for the reduction of the scope of the disability services act was the costs foreseen for services for older persons. Services had been narrowed for older persons, leaving many needs unmet. The speed and unpredictability of cuts to civil society organizations inhibited their activities, and austerity measures reduced the impact of State services for persons with disabilities. The national human rights institution looked forward to the Committee’s recommendations for addressing these issues.
KRISTA OINONEN, Director of the Unit for Human Rights Courts and Conventions, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the constructive and meaningful dialogue. The State party appreciated the depth of the Committee’s questions, which had shed light on remaining challenges. It looked forward to receiving the concluding observations, which would be translated into national languages and disseminated widely, including in an easy-to-read version, and would be discussed in a variety of fora. Finland thanked the Committee for its unwavering commitment to the rights of persons with disabilities.
NATALIA GUALA BEATHYATE, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Finland, thanked Finland for participating in the constructive dialogue. The Committee sought to contribute to the State’s efforts to implement the Convention by identifying remaining challenges and policies that needed to be harmonised with the Convention. Its recommendations would seek to ensure the highest implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities in the State.
All of Finland’s legislative amendments, policies and budgetary allocations needed to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities and not allow retrogression. The Committee had expressed its concern in this regard and called on the State party to reassess measures that led to retrogression. The Committee would support the State party to implement the Convention and create a happy society in which no one was left behind.
MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, thanked the State party for participating in the dialogue. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations and make further efforts to implement the Convention for the benefit of all persons with disabilities in Finland.
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