ABSTRACT

This book looks at disability as an evolving social phenomenon. Disability is created through the interaction between persons with impairments and their environment.

Exploring these experiences of persons with disabilities and discussing universality and particularity in our understanding of assumed development and normalcy, it takes Finland, which has been chosen repeatedly as the happiest country in the world as its case- study. Using disability as a critical lens helps to demystify Finland that has the positive reputation of a Welfare State. By identifying different kinds of discrimination against persons with disabilities as well as successful examples of disability inclusion, it shows that when looking Finland from the perspective of persons with disabilities, inequality and poverty have been collective experiences of too many of them.

It will be of interest to all scholars and students of disability studies, sociology, social policy, social work, political science, health and well-being studies and Nordic studies more broadly.

The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

chapter |11 pages

Introduction

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chapter 1|16 pages

The sense of difference

Disability and loneliness as emotional and social isolation
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chapter 2|20 pages

‘Disability is so invisible at the University'

Disability Inclusion/Exclusion Experiences of Students with Disabilities at the University of Helsinki
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chapter 3|20 pages

Being independently dependent

Experiences at the intersection of disability and old age in Finland
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chapter 4|15 pages

One step backward?

Exploring the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic for persons with intellectual disabilities in supported and service housing
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chapter 5|28 pages

The state of inclusion in the state of inclusion?

Inclusion as principled practice in Finnish basic education
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chapter 9|21 pages

The happiness of having a hobby

Inclusion of persons with disabilities in leisure activities
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chapter 10|15 pages

Spiral of progress

Disability activists' perception of the societal and political position of disabled people in Finland
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chapter 11|19 pages

‘Second Class Citizens'

Challenges with Truth and Reconciliation Process of Deaf People and the Sign Language Community in Finland
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chapter |11 pages

Concluding Remarks

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