Helsinki: focus on the social field

From Sunday 1st of October until Saturday 7th October, was a seminar organized by the foundation John Bost in Helsinki, in Finland. This association, known for public utility, is specialized in their receiving and care for people in a situation of physical, psychological or cognitive disability.

The seminar is part of a full program composed of 6 study trips. The objective of this training aims towards a better knowledge of welcoming practices towards disabled people outside of French borders.

In order to understand the situation of the disabled in the Finnish territory, the collaborators present during the trip had been able to benefit from a total immersion into different entities, and at the same time, privileged exchanges with their Nordic counterparts.

Really attached to the principals of social integration and equal opportunities for the disabled people, the Finnish model stays an example to be followed. The wishes of the person as well as their autonomy are placed in the heart of the reflections. Each decision of the local public powers, be it in the subject of assistance, internment or the distribution of allocations, is treated case by case with the help of un expert.

During the learning stay, the collaborators of the John Bost foundation had the opportunity to visit the high places of welcoming and the inclusions of people in a situation of disability. The FAIDD, which groups the professionals working for a better quality of life for the mentally disabled people; the kindergarten of Lakela, where the autistic children play and learn with "normal" kids; the foundation Rinnekoti, which groups the enterprises employing exclusively disabled personnel; the association for mental health Helmiry, which is the spearhead of a method focusing on the exchange and reeducation instead of medical treatments.