People with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else.
Photo: Hans Bjurling/Johnér
Almost all disabled people in Sweden live in their own homes, and the vast majority of disabled children grow up at home with their families. Most children and adolescents attend regular schools, although there are special types of schooling for those who are deaf or hearing-impaired, or who have severe mobility or learning disabilities. There are also plans to establish special schools for students with impaired vision combined with other disabilities, and for students with severe speech impediments.
Equality in education
The Education Act states that children in need of special assistance at school are to be provided with it. The law also says there must be equality in education for all children, wherever they live in Sweden and regardless of any disability.
Interestingly, the proportion of people who complete high school is slightly higher among those with disabilities than among those without. However, the reverse is true in higher education, although an increasing number of students with disabilities are now going to university and college. Unemployment is slightly higher among disabled people than among the rest of the population.
Funding to find jobs
The state is responsible for making it easier for people to find and keep jobs via its labor market agencies. Employers who hire someone with a reduced work capacity are in certain cases entitled to wage subsidies. The state also owns an enterprise, Samhall, which provides employment for those who cannot find work otherwise. In addition, people with disabilities receive various types of financial assistance from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency to enable them to support themselves or to cover extra costs arising from their disabilities.
The right to personal assistance
General social welfare in Sweden extends to everyone, but there are also special programs to address the needs of people with disabilities. One of the most important reforms concerning supplementary support, the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS), was introduced in the 1990s by the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament). An important feature of this wide-ranging reform program was to give disabled people the right to personal assistance free of charge. The number of hours received depends on the extent of the disability.
Increasing access
One requirement for a society in which everyone can participate under the same conditions regardless of disability is ease of access. This covers streets and public places, public buildings, stores and restaurants, and public transportation. To speed up efforts to increase accessibility, the government is working with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and so that streets and public places can be used by everyone.
Modifications for housing
A person with a disability can apply for a municipal grant to modify his or her residence. Modifications may involve removing thresholds, attaching support rails, widening doorways or installing automatic door openers and special elevators. Grants cover all types of functional disabilities, such as mobility disability, impaired vision, mental disorders and allergies.
Anyone who needs extra support may live in group housing. Staff provide 24- hour assistance. Group housing usually consists of a number of apartments with shared common amenities.
Another alternative is service flats, a completely independent type of housing in which people live in their own apartments but can call for staff at any time.
Family homes are available for parents who have children with functional disabilities. These allow the child to live for certain periods with another family.
Transportation
People who have problems taking public transport because of their functional impairment are entitled to use the transportation service designed for people with disabilities. Travel under this system, which is subsidized, is provided by taxis or larger, specially modified vehicles. The right to such transportation is regulated by the Special Transport Act. Municipalities are responsible for and make decisions about the special transportation service. In Stockholm alone, almost three million trips are made annually using this service.
Car allowance
People who have serious difficulties traveling or using public transportation can receive a subsidy for their cars. Their difficulties may be caused, for instance, by pain, breathing difficulties, reduced mobility or a poor sense of balance. Parents who have children with a
functional impairment may also receive a car allowance. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency makes decisions about allowances.
International cooperation
In 1993, the member states of the United Nations agreed on a new international
document to focus worldwide attention on the need for equal rights and opportunities
for people with disabilities – the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities. These have been a cornerstone of Swedish disability
policy ever since.
The Swedish government ratified the UN ’s Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities in 2008. Unlike the Standard Rules, the Convention is
legally binding. As a result Sweden, along with other countries that have ratified
the Convention, has committed itself to ensuring that national legislation does not
discriminate against people with disabilities.
Disability movement a vital force
Swedish organizations for people with disabilities have been influencing policymaking in
this field for over 50 years, and their cooperation with Swedish policymakers at all levels is well established. Most of these organizations belong to the Swedish Disability Federation (Handikappförbundens samarbetsorgan, or HSO), an umbrella body that works to influence official policy.
The organizations help shape public opinion by presenting their members’ demands and
proposing improvements. Around 50 organizations for people with disabilities receive
state funding to help them pursue their activities. Most are organized on the basis of their members’ disabilities. Many have special youth sections, and some focus specifically on children and families.
Striving for the best access in the world
A lack of access means that people with functional disabilities do not have the same opportunities as others to participate in community life. The Swedish government is working to overcome this in cooperation with other bodies and organizations.
Equal access is an important part of everyday life.
Photo: Bosse Johansson
In 2008, the government presented a strategy for how the “access goals”
specified in the national action plan for disability policy were to be achieved by 2010. These efforts, carried out in collaboration with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), concern three areas:
- Eliminating obstacles in public places.
- Making public transportation accessible.
- Making public administration accessible.
The collaboration between the government and SALAR is continuing during 2010. The government allocated SEK 12 million so that SALAR and the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning could carry out work to provide information in 2009 and 2010. For the same period, the government also allocated SEK 150 million to make the railroad system more accessible.
One goal for 2010 was to make Stockholm the most accessible capital in the world. The work to make the city’s streets and squares accessible to everyone began in 1999 with the Easy Access project. The city council set aside SEK 100 million for the project every year until 2010. Of this, SEK 10 million a year has been devoted to increasing accessibility at sports centers and SEK 5 million to culture and to the city’s own properties.
Work is now under way on a follow-up study. New goals and visions will be formulated in 2010.
Some areas of progress:
- Increasing accessibility in streets and squares, in parks and the city’s own buildings.
- Encouraging property owners to improve their premises.
- Providing Stockholm residents and others with information about accessibility.
A few examples of measures taken so far:
- The Stockholm model is a solution of pedestrian crossings designed for people with impaired movement or vision. For people with impaired vision, it is important that there is an audible ticking sound to indicate when the light is green. People who use a wheelchair, walking frame or pushchair need curb ramps to make it easier to reach the sidewalk. To date, 60 percent of all pedestrian crossings have been converted in line with the Stockholm model.
- Bus stops have been raised to make it easier to get on and off buses.
- Stairs have been fitted with handrails and/or contrast markings – on the first and last step – to make it easier for people with impaired vision to see them.
Laws against discrimination
The Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS) was introduced in 1994.
Discrimination is illegal. Photo: Jeppe Wikström/Johnér
LSS is a human-rights law supplementing other legislation. Its aim is to give people with extensive disabilities greater opportunities for leading an independent life and to ensure that they have equal living conditions and full participation in community life. Support may take the form of personal assistance in everyday life, counseling, housing with special services, or assistance for the parents of children with disabilities. As its name indicates, the law applies only to certain groups of disabled people. People not covered by the law can seek assistance from their municipality under the Social Services Act. In addition to LSS, there are some laws containing clauses that apply specifically to disabled people, including the Planning and Building Act and the Social Services Act.
In Sweden, there are also four laws that prohibit discrimination in various areas, two of which concern disability. The Equality Ombudsman (DO) monitors compliance with these laws.
The Discrimination Act combats discrimination due to sex, transgender identity, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.
The Act Prohibiting Discrimination and Other Degrading Treatment of Children and School Students includes preschools, schools for students with intellectual disabilities and childcare facilities.
Publisher:
Swedish Institute
Published:
April 2010
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