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National Page of Finland

National representative

Name: Mr. Mika Minkkinen
FM, ohjaava opettaja, eo
Position: Consulting teacher
Organization: Oppimis-ja ohjauskeskus Valteri, Onerva
Institution: Valteri Centre for Learning and Consulting, Onerva
Address: PL 101, 40049 VALTERI, Jyväskylä, Finland
Phone: +358 2 9533 2952
E-mail:
Website: Valteri Centre for Learning and Consulting website

Educational institutions

Education policy in Finland
Education system in Finland

VALTERI Center for Learning and Consulting, Onerva

Website: www.valteri.fi
E-mail:

VALTERI is a national centre for learning and consulting with six units in different parts of Finland. VALTERI supports the implementation of inclusive education by offering a comprehensive range of services in the fields of general, intensified and special support. These services can target the needs of individual children and young people, or the needs of an entire working community, municipality or region. All VALTERI units also have a Valteri school.
Four Valteri units are specialised in the diversity of visual impairment. The multidisciplinary staff work with a wide diversity of children and young persons with visual challenges and with or without multiple needs. For more information, please see www.valteri.fi/en/

In Finland there is an inclusive educational policy for all pupils. The nationwide Valteri Centre for Learning and Consulting (comprising six units: Mikael, Mäntykangas, Ruskis, Onerva, Skilla and Tervaväylä) offer consulting for municipalities and professionals when organizing and implementing education for all. Those units which are specialized in educational guidance for pupils with visual impairment are:

• Onerva (Jyväskylä), Ruskis (Helsinki) and Tervaväylä (Oulu) for Finnish speaking clients
• Skilla (whole Finland), for Swedish speaking clients

Associations

Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (FFVI)

website: www.nkl.fi

Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired is a special service provider with a social element as well as an advocacy organization for the blind and the partially sighted.

The Federation of Swedish Speaking Visually Impaired in Finland (FSVIF)

website: www.fss.fi

FSVIF is a contact, interest and service organization of all Swedish speaking visually handicapped in Finland.

Parents Association

website: www.silmatera.fi/

The Association for Parents of Visually Impaired Children. Themes: childhood, parenting and peer support

Other institutions

Celia - Library for the Visually Impaired

Website: Celia - Library for the Visually Impaired website

A state-owned special library which produces and provides literature in accessible formats for people who are unable to read standard printed books, due to illness or disability – including visually impaired persons, persons suffering from dyslexia and learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and muscular diseases.