Agencies Serving Blind & Partially Sighted People

By country sorted alphabetically

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y 20.11.2009f="../archive/agencies/index.htm">Complete list of countries

Please note this page is no longer updated

Finland

Arla Institute
Puustellinmäki 4-6, Espoo, SF-02600, Finland.
Contact person: Joini Onnela, Principal
Tel: +358 9 511 081
Fax: +258 9 511 08300
Web: www.arlainst.fi
Activities: Government owned vocational training and development centre offering vocational rehabilitation and training courses for visually impaired and deafblind people. Training courses for professional developments eg computer packages. Holiday accommodation.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Celia - Nakovammaisten Kirjasto / Biblioteket for Synskadade
(Library for the Visually Impaired)
PO Box 20, FL-00030, Iiris, Finland.
Contact person: Marketta Ryoma, Director
Tel: +358 9 2295 2210
Fax: +358 9 2295 2295
Email: info@celialib.fi
Web: www.celialib.fi
Activities: Library service and production units. Talking books, braille books, electronic books and tactile books are stocked.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired
Marjaniementie 74, FIN 00030, Iiris, Finland.
Tel: +358 9 396 041
Fax: +358 9 396 4625
Email: ffvi@nkl.fi
Web: www.nkl.fi
Activities: The aim of the Federation is to secure the blind and visually impaired an equal status with other Finnish citizens. To achieve this the Federation seeks to improve the capabilities and skills of the visually impaired, while also trying to influence the society at large. Activities includes: providing specialist rehabilitation for children to seniors; providing consulting regarding employment; providing IT training and guidance, import, sales and lending of technical aids and production of braille, large-print and audio materials as well as the transmission of newspapers, magazines and other publications by means of information technology; providing guide dog training; creating opportunities for shared leisure activities and maintaining a strong network of international contacts by projects and development cooperation.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Finnish Guide Dog School
Siltaniitynkuja 1, FIN-01260, Vantaa, Finland.
Tel: +358 9 2706 771
Fax: +358 9 876 8299
Email: okk@opaskoirakoulu.fi
Web: www.opaskoirakoulu.fi
Activities: The main aim is to raise, train and provide guide dogs for blind and qualified visually impaired people. Guide Dog School works under Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten Keskusliitto ry.) and is a member of The International Federation of Guide Dog Schools for the Blind.
Last Updated: 02/04/2007

Förbundet Finlands Svenska Synskadade Rf
(Federation of Swedish Speaking Visually Impaired in Finland)
Nylandsgatan 25 A 6, 00120, Helsinki, Finland.
Tel: +358 9 69 62 300
Fax: +358 9 68 02 064
Email: info@fss.fi
Web: www.fss.fi
Activities: Organisation offering services for visually impaired Swedish speaking Finns, including rehabilitation. Seven local societies offering leisure activities, information and social contact.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Jyväskylä Näkövammaisten Koulu
(Jyväskylä School for the Visually Impaired)
PO Box 319, Kukkumäentie 27, Jyväskylä, 40101, Finland.
Tel: +358 14 3343 100
Fax: +358 14 3343 140
Email: info@jynok.fi
Web: www.jynok.fi
Activities: The school is state-subsidised and offers children rehabilitation and education from pre-school to the end of secondary education. Our work is with visually impaired children, in order that they will become independent and self-sufficient adults in modern society, each according to his ability. a) boarding school for VI, (incl. blind, partially sighted and MDVI); b) counselling services: support courses for VI children studying in local schools, courses for teachers, classroom assistants; c) itinerant counseling services (visits to local schools with VI pupils). Staff includes teachers, care persons, social worker, speech therapist, hospital nurse, psychologist, physiotherapist, O&M instructors, low vision therapists, braille instructors, leisure time instructor, learning material designers and producers, kitchen staff, as well as principal, assistant head master, clerical staff, head of dormitory, chief accountant and janitors. We also have classroom assistants and are allowed to employ conscientious objectors doing their national service.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Retinitis-Yhdistys RY
(Finnish Retinitis Society)
PL 51, 00030 IIRIS, Finland
Tel: +358 9 3960 5800
Fax: +358 9 3960 4345
Email: retinitis@kolumbus.fi
Web: www.kolumbus.fi/retinitis
Activities: The Finnish RP Society strives to act as a link between people all over Finland with RP. To give information on inherited eye diseases and to support people with RP to cope with their visual handicap. To increase public awareness of RP and to protect the interests of RP patients in social legislation and in cooperation with other handicap organisations. To support research into the cure of RP.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Suomen Kuurosokeat Ry
(Finnish Deafblind Association)
PO Box 40, FIN - 00030, Iiris, Finland.
Tel: +358 9 549 5350
Fax: +358 9 549 53517
Email: tiedotus@kuurosokeat.fi
Web: www.kuurosokeat.fi/en
Activities: Regional rehabilitation centres. Promotes and defends the fundamental and social rights of the deafblind and people with severe visual and hearing impairments. Throughout the organisation there is a strong commitment to improving the position of the deafblind in all spheres of social life. Services are produced at both the local and national level. All services are designed with a view to the special needs of the deafblind with respect to communication, mobility and access to information. Organisational activities include: looking after the interests of deafblind people in society; observing the development and implementation of legislation; informing co-operating partners, other organisations and the public about deafblindness; education co-operation with other organisations; publishing information; local clubs for recreational activities; education for organisations; camps and other recreational activities; peer activities and voluntary work.
Last updated: 02/04/2007

Svenska Skolan för Synskadade
(Swedish School for the Visually Handicapped)
Edelfeltsvagen 13, 00150, Helsingfors, Finland.
Contact person: Maj-Len Heikel, Acting Principal
Tel: +358 9 6689 920
Fax: +358 9 629 362
Email: majlen.heikel@blindskolan.fi
Web: www.blindskolan.fi
Activities: School, resource centre and boarding house.
Last updated: 02/04/2007