In Estonia, a new social security system of benefits and services for working aged disabled people based on their employability will be implemented in July 2016. According to the system, disabled people will be assessed and estimated as to whether they are able to work (no employability benefits), partially able to work (50% benefits) or not able to work (100% benefits). Our recent practice is based on disability pensions and for example, totally blind people have been estimated as 100% unemployable.
However, some blind and visually impaired people have found it possible to work. For an overview of the situation, the Estonian Federation of the Blind carried out a survey in 2015. Throughout Estonia, 228 people with blindness or visual impairment (BVI) were interviewed. 34% of the respondents, e g 76 people were involved in the labour market. Altogether, 25 different jobs and occupations were mentioned and 9% were self-employed. The list of jobs and occupations varies a lot – from manual and physical work to intellectual and creative work. The results show that it is crucial to find out which best suits a person's abilities and special needs.
We know that special aids and adaptations are extremely necessary for BVI people to be included in society. Accessibility is one of the key issues in many cases. Therefore, in 2016, the Estonian Federation of the Bind intends to become a competence centre on accessibility. We are working on a handbook on accessibility recommendations considering the special needs of blind and visually impaired people.