Finland: Facts Behind the Long and Complicated Process of Disability Inclusion in Sports

Abstract

This chapter will provide an in-depth view of the key disability sports organisations and their roles in the Finnish landscape. The Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM, Opetus-ja kulttuuriministeriö), which funds national sport policies, is the largest public organisation. Public and third sector organisations create policies and programmes which are then implemented together with several sports organisations and municipalities at different levels from local to national. The double strategy approach in sports services for persons with disabilities means keeping up traditional disability sports while working for and with increased inclusion in the mainstream setting. In many sports, disability sports are already integrated into National Sport Federations’ (NSF) structures and policies. However, the level and broadness of this development vary, and the process towards inclusion is still ongoing.