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Access to Alcohol Programs?

Drugs, smoking and alcohol

Nordic Public Health Conference

24–26 August 2011 Turku, Finland

Liisa Jokela, Coordinator, The Finnish Blue Ribbon/VAPA

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Health Care for Everybody? -Accessibility is Quality-

• The concept of disability – an individual or

structural problem?

• People with disabilities in substance abuse

and mental health services in Finland

• VAPA support services and multiprofessional

network promoting equality

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Disability as a problem?

- Mystique

- Prejudice

- Labelling

- Participation?

- Poverty?

- Health inequities

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Handicapism

• A person with

disability uses his/her

own disabilty as the

cause of all problems

• A person is

approached as a

disabled person by

practitioner or others

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Societal structures are the problem?

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Survey of intoxicant-related cases in health

and social services in Finland 2007

More than 12 000 intoxicant-related cases

People with visual impairments 4%

People with hearing impairments 2%

People with physical disability 11%

People with developmental disorder, neurological disorder or brain injury 12%

More research is needed

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Preventive and Development Projects

1. Preventive Project in Intoxicant-Related Harms for

People with Disabilities 1998–2000

The aim was to prevent intoxicant-related harms to

disabled citizens by giving information to substance

abusers, their families and disability services personnel

2. Development Project in Substance Abuse Services

for People with Disabilities 2001–2004

The collaboration project created cooperation by 19

different disability associations and substance abuse

service providers

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VAPA continues today

VAPA was launched by the Finnish Blue Ribbon in 2005.

The work is funded by Finland’s Slot Machine Association.

Action points:

1. Promoting cooperation in substance abuse, mental health

and disability service sectors

2. Advocating recognition and attitudes towards disability

3. Promoting access to information on intoxicant-related

issues for people with disabilities

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VAPA models

• Training

• Intoxicant-free disability rehabilitation

• Substance abuse strategy planning model

• Cooperation network

• Accessibility

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www.sininauhaliitto.fi

Nothing about us without us

www.vapa.info

Thank you!