Transportation services under the Disability Services Act

New clients are referred to disability services through the client and service counselling Soihtu or the client and service counselling for the elderly. The assessment of the need for services first evaluates the suitability and adequacy of the services in accordance with the Social Welfare Act. After that, the need for services in accordance with the Disability Services Act is assessed.

1. If you are applying for disability services for the first time and are under 65 years of age, contact the Soihtu Team in your municipality by phone, via Varha App or fill in the form: Ilmoitus/yhteydenotto sosiaalihuoltoon tuen tarpeen arvioimiseksi (huoli-ilmoitus).
2. If you are over 65 years old, you can contact the client and service counselling for the elderly. The customer helpline for services for the elderly is available on weekdays in Finnish on 02 262 6164 (9-15) and in Swedish on 02 262 6174 (9-12).
3. If you are already a client of Varha’s Disability Services and you are applying for a new service or a change to an existing service, you can contact your designated Disability Services employee or fill in the Disability Services application form. The Disability Service Application is for existing clients of the disability services.

If you don't know who to contact, you can contact the disability services office or disability services counsellor in your area. The disability services in the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland can provide you with help and advice on applying for the service.

When you apply, please attach a medical report or statement describing your current state of health, how you function and what kind of help you need in everyday situations. The best way to support your assessment is to get a statement from a care provider who knows your situation best. This should be as recent as possible, no more than a year old. If necessary, a disability services worker will advise you on how to provide health information.

You can receive special services under the Disability Services Act if you have a long-term and permanent illness, impairment or disability and you absolutely need support and assistance in your everyday life. The disability service complements other social and health services when they are not sufficient or suitable for the needs of a person with disabilities.

Transportation services under the Disability Services Act are intended for people who have severe difficulties in travelling and who, because of their disability or illness, cannot use public transport independently without undue difficulty.

The assessment of your need for this service is based on an individual assessment of your service needs, which is carried out by a social worker or disability service advisor in cooperation with you. For this assessment, you must submit a sufficiently comprehensive medical report on your health, functional capacity and mobility support needs as an annex to your application. The report must be up-to-date and describe your current situation. If necessary, a disability services officer will help you apply for these reports.

The assessment of your transport needs will also include an assessment of your ability to get around your living environment and the services you can use, such as public transport, including low-floor buses and complementary services, or on-demand taxis. Accessible public transport is the best means of transport for everyone, whenever possible. Especially for longer journeys, you may be required to use accessible public transport (e.g. train) for part of the journey if it does not cause you undue inconvenience.

Transportation service journeys under the Disability Services Act are not to be used for health care related transport reimbursable by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) or an insurance company.