ABSTRACT
Finland is the sixth largest country in Europe with just over five million residents. In 1994, the number of students enrolled in universities was 128,300. There are no reliable statistics about the number of students with disabilities in universities. Progress has been made for students with disabilities and learning difficulties in higher education in Finland. In relation to policies, most universities do take into account the special needs of students with disabilities. State financial support can be obtained since it avoids students with disabilities having to arrange loans to fund their studies. In earlier times, having a university degree was considered to guarantee a job for a student with a disability. For over a quarter of a century, the policy has been to promote access for students with disabilities. Blind and visually-impaired students have a long history of studying successfully at the University of Helsinki.
