People With Disabilities and Their Experiences as Customers of Municipal Social Services and Kela
This study focuses on people with disabilities and their experiences as customers of municipal social services and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). In particular, the focus is on how people with disabilities perceive their possibilities to influence and the realisation of self-determination. This study is part of a research project called ‘Discretion in social work with people with disabilities (HaraVa)’, which is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The research questions are:
- How is self-determination understood, and what does it mean?
- What is the scope of self-determination? What are the situations, where people with disabilities feel they have control and can make decisions?
- How does help and care respond to good and bad decisions?
- What is the role of discretion in the realisation or failure of self-determination?
The primary data comprise survey data collected in 2022, in addition to which we use existing data, such as Finnish Disability Forum’s survey data from 2018 regarding the realisation of rights of people with disabilities. A sample (n=5,000) of adults receiving some disability benefit (disability allowance for persons aged 16 or over and care allowance for pensioners) and work disability pension due to disability in 2021 is selected from the registers.
The survey is carried out electronically using Questback, which means only people whose email addresses are known are included in the survey. Kela anonymises the data and delivers them to the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Questions related to Kela’s customer research are included in the questionnaire, and they will remain in Kela’s possession. Relevant background information questions (e.g., age, gender, disability, received benefits) are also included in the questionnaire, so no register data need to be combined with the survey data. The questionnaire includes multiple choice questions and open-ended questions.
People with disabilities are more dependent on the help of others as well as the support and services provided by society, and many use the services their entire lives. However, data on the position of people with disabilities are scattered. For the most part, studies on living conditions and quality of life are carried out within specific disability groups, which makes it impossible to compare different disability groups or people with disabilities with the rest of the population. In addition, people with disabilities may be excluded from population studies, or they are impossible to identify in the study. Thus, it is important to explore and bring out the perspectives of people with disabilities regarding disability services and social work. The results of this study will be available for the new wellbeing services counties that start operating in 2023.
Researchers
- Antti Teittinen, Leading Researcher
- Aliisa Palanne
Project Implementation Period
1.6.2022–31.12.2023. The project has ended.
