Facts and figures

Of the disabled population, over 43%, have mobility impairments, those with mental disorder comprise 18.6%, with hearing impairment 2.3%, with visual impairment, 3.5% and with other impairments over 31%.

In 2007, among the working age population who were permanently incapacitated and who had lost at least 40% of their capacity to work, comprised 74576 persons or 5,6%. Of these, people with mobility impairment formed over 43% and those with mental disorder comprised 18,6%

(Health, Labour and Social Sector in 2007. Tallinn, Ministry of Social Affairs, 2008, 111pp.)

According to Estonian Health Interview Survey 2006, 11.3% of disabled people had been severely restricted in their everyday activities because of their health conditions  for the last 6 months.

Data on employment indicate that:

According to Labour Force Survey (2008) the overall labour force participation rate was 73% for males and 66.3% for females (total 69.5%).

Among the age group 15-64 participating in labour force, 5.8% had activity limitations because of long-term illness. Of these, the labour force participation rate was 33.3% and compared to 2006 had increased by 2%. For the population with significant activity limitations the labour force participation rate had not increased between the two years and comprised 12.5%. For the population who were somewhat limited in their activities the participation rate had reduced by 4% to 51.5%.

At the beginning of 2007, 65,497 people were registered with the Social Insurance Board for their loss of capacity of work.   48% were assessed as having an impairment of  40-70%. 37,4% of those incapacitated to work were employed at the beginning of 2007. (Sotsiaalvadkonna arengud 2000-2006. Tallinn, Ministry of Social Affairs, 2008, 144 pp.)

Data on education indicate that:

According to the 2000 Census the proportion of those at least with ISCED 3 level among the disabled population formed 45.7% and comprised less than the average in the population (59%). However, the proportion of those with higher education (ISCED 5 level) among the disabled people comprised 16.2%, which is higher than the average in the population.

According to the Estonian Health Interview Survey 2006, among those severely restricted in their everyday activities at least for last 6 months, the proportion with at least secondary education (ISCED 3+) formed more than 73% (compared with an  average 80% for the total population). Those with severe activity limitations had a  higher education level of 25,5% ( average 33% for the total population).

Since 2000, disabled students may apply for allowance for education if they are not working and if they have obtained the basic education (ISCED level 2). In 2006 19 persons recieved such an allowance. There are no age restrictions on the allowance. The allowance is paid upon receipt of confirmation of expenditures incurred in  obtaining the education.

Data on accessibility indicate that:

The MeAC e-accessibility survey results for Estonia in 2007 showed that:

None of the selected public or sectoral/commercial websites passed even the automatic evaluation.

The main emergency telephone number was not accessible by text.

Neither of the two main mobile telephone operators, or landline operators, provided e-accessibility information via their website.

In 2006, the public TV channel in Estonia provided some national language programs with subtitling and some programs with signing (but not more than 1% of total volume). Only one daily news program was broadcast with signing. Neither of the two main commercial TV channels, in 2006, provided any national language programs with subtitling, signing or description.

Of the two main retail banks, neither had installed talking ATMs

In general, in this aspect Estonia falls into the general picture of Europe, where the minority of countries have had some improvement in eAccessibility lately and Europe in terms of both eAccessibility status and eAccessibility policy, compares very unfavourably with that of their peers in the comparison countries examined in the MeAC study (AU, CA and US). Estonia belongs to this part of one third of European countries who provide in main public broadcasters subtitling for deaf people, however, the amount of subtitling being still negligible..

Data on poverty and incomes indicate that:

In 2007, those in the lowest income quintile, with bad or very bad health, comprised 27,5% of children up to 16, 17,1% of people aged 16-64 years and 47,4 % of people aged 65 and older . Compared to previous years the proportion of children in the lowest quintile has increased and the other groups have somewhat decreased or remained at the same level. (Statistics Estonia, 2007)

The average pension for being incapacitated from work was EEK 1,842  in 2007, which is barely 60% of the average pension. The average pension comprises around 40% of the average income. In 2006 disabled persons received benefits of EEK 2,218 each. (Sotsiaalvadkonna arengud 2000-2006. Tallinn, Ministry of Social Affairs, 2008, 144 pp) http://213.184.49.171/www/gpweb_est_gr.nsf/HtmlPages/Trendid2007-mai/$file/Trendid2007-mai.pdf

In January 2008, the number of people receiving an incapacity for work pension was 67,459 (at an average of EEK 2,241), of which the large majority were receiving pensions at the higher rates for people with 80-100% incapacity (The number of pensioners by groups 2001-2008).

Data on attitudes indicate that:

Lagerspetz, et al (2007) report that:

Generally, disabled people experience less or a different kind of discrimination from family members of disabled people or the population without any impairments. The low employment rate among disabled people reduces the probability of being discriminated against in the work place. This  also applies to the sphere of education.

In the sphere of services people with or without impairments experience discrimination to a similar extent. Only in the sphere of medical services do disabled people encounter greater inequality .

People with disability encounter more inequality in their neighbourhoods if they are older or with evident physical impairments. Usually disabled people do not know  who to turn to for improving the situation

Data on public spending indicate that:

The main source for comparative assessment of expenditures on social care is through ESSPROS. However, the current methodology does not distinguish between total population and disabled population in order to distinguish the proportions of public social expenditure spent on specific population categories (Total expenditure on social protection in 2006 in current prices fromed 12,4%  http://www.stat.ee/29942)

Social benefits for disabled persons in 2006 comprised 185 PPS per head and 1.2 % of GDP

In 2007, the Ministry of Social Affairs paid EEK 9.84 million in social benefits to disabled people, of which: 2.23 million to people with ‘profound' disability; 6.72 million with ‘severe' disability; 0.58 million with ‘moderate' disability; 0.31 for undefined impairment (Social support for people with disabilities 2005-2007)

http://213.184.49.171/www/gpweb_est_gr.nsf/HtmlPages/01_Sotsiaaltoetus_p...

Public expenditure on care for elderly people is declining. It formed 0,076% of GDP in 2006, compared with 0.093% in 2003 and 0.136% in 2000 (Eurostat)

In 2006, the state spent EEK 57,827 on rehabilitation and technical aids costing EEK 80,997 (Technical aids 2001-2007).