What are disability councils, what do they do, and who are their members?

Pirkko Kuusela notes that the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties mandates that the Disability Council be given the opportunity to influence all phases of the Wellbeing Services County’s operations that are relevant to individuals with disabilities and the services they need—from planning and preparation to implementation and monitoring.

To Kalle Hietala, one core responsibility of the Disability Council is to serve as a “moral compass” in the Wellbeing Services County. 

– By ‘moral compass’, I mean activities that clarify and uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities within the wellbeing services county’s service provision, ensuring adherence to human rights standards, Hietala elaborates. 

In Hietala’s view, the idea of a moral compass specifically highlights the importance of advocacy bodies, such as the Disability Council, Youth Council, and Elderly Council. These councils ensure that officeholders remain accountable and attentive to the impact of their decisions and choices in the Wellbeing Services County.

 

– While the Disability Council is devoted to promoting the position of individuals with a disability, it does not make the actual decisions, Hietala clarifies.  

The Disability Council of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, as Pirkko Kuusela states, strives not merely to work on the Disability Services, but to ensure that all services are accessible and functional for residents with disabilities and long-term illnesses. 

 

– We actively promote assessing how decisions impact people with disabilities, while championing overall wellbeing and accessibility of services. Effective communication and inclusive participation are crucial, Kuusela notes. 

 

With years of experience chairing the Espoo Disability Council, Kuusela views her role as significant, accountable, and extremely fascinating. 

– While I’m familiar with advocacy in social and health services and the preparation of meetings, transitioning to the Wellbeing Services County brought along new responsibilities. For instance, I have received numerous inquiries from various municipalities concerning the different services offered by Wellbeing Services County. Some of these inquiries indicate that residents are unaware about the services and that some information is challenging to find. This highlights the importance of our role, she reflects. 

Kalle Hietala points out that, by law, every municipality within the Wellbeing Services County is obligated to appoint a representative to the Disability Council. 

– On paper, this would mean ten representatives for the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. However, the County Board has resolved that the Disability Council and other advocacy bodies will consist of 20 representatives, allocated according to the size of each municipality. 

Moreover, the Disability Council has a secretary, and meetings are attended by the director of the Wellbeing Services County’s Disability Services and, when necessary, other relevant officeholders and experts.

 

The Western Uusimaa Disability Council comprises five members from Espoo; one each from Hanko, Ingå, Karkkila, Siuntio, and Kauniainen; three each from Kirkkonummi and Lohja; and two each from Raseborg and Vihti.

• Disability council, members
• Meetings calendar (in Finnish)
• Meeting materials(external link) (in Finnish)