MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

Legislation/regulations

The main telecommunications law in Finland is the Communications Market Act (393/2003), however there are no provisions in this or other legislation specifically dealing with disabled persons’ access to telecommunications.  Funding for some accessibility services is provided by the state lottery.

Other initiatives

Instead of a legislative framework, it seems that various aspects of the Finnish telecommunications landscape, including accessibility, have been managed via cooperation between the government, local authorities and various interest groups. This applies in relation to accessibility as well, where disability organisations seem to have an important role to play.

In one initiative, since 2002 the Emergency Response Centre Administration has expended considerable effort in preparation of a text message-based national emergency system wherein the general emergency number 112 can be quickly and reliably reached by SMS message.

With regard to directory services, the Finnish Slot Machine association (RAY) (a gaming association which raises funds for health and welfare organisations) funds a text-call system for hearing impaired users, though users still incur a charge.

There are also objectives in the national action programme Towards Barrier-Free Communication to:

1. survey the needs of people with disabilities for directory enquiry services
2. examine the possibility for developing a CD-ROM directory
3. discuss options with telecoms service providers

The following services are provided or developed by various institutes and non-governmental organisations:

• Text telephony: The Finnish text telephony relay centre Nova Call (www.novacall.fi) is available 24-hours per day. It is not based on law, but is funded by the Finnish Slot Machine Association RAY and the Valkea Talo foundation
• The Finnish Association of Mental Retardation has a communication and technology centre Tikoteekki. Tikoteekki, founded in 1995, which gathers and distributes knowledge concerning AAC methods and the newest technical solutions in communication devices
• The AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) centre of Honkalampi Foundation serves people with communication problems such as speech difficulties (www.honkalampisaatio.fi)
• Signing using mobile videophones: The Technical Research Centre of Finland has made a research project and The Turku Campus of the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is piloting mobile interpreting (www.mobiilitulkki.fi/mobile.en.html)
• Signing using Internet and ISDN devices: A 3-year ETU pilot project started in 2002 demonstrates how remote sign interpretation can be realised. Through videophones, sign language interpreters can serve a greater amount of customers regardless of location and time

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