Key issues
- Nearly half the people with disabilities live in relative poverty.
- Social services, including special care services, are not available across Estonia in a needs-based manner.
- Accessibility of built environment and services needs more attention.
- The guardianship system needs an extensive reform.
- The Equal Treatment Act still discriminates against people with disabilities.
Political and institutional developments
The analysis shows that in 2025–2026 the tax changes will reduce household income and subsistence and hit the economically worse off people hardest, e.g. people with disabilities. The impact of tax increases is not linear, it intersects with several factors that have the effect of increasing vulnerability (e.g. age, disability, income, family composition), which have an amplifying effect when they occur at the same time.[1]
The special care services are still underfunded and the waiting lists for services is long. The National Audit Office pointed out that the queue for special care services in 2018‒2024 has almost doubled (as of 2024 there are approximately 2700 people in the queue).[2]
Legislative developments
On 28 June 2025 the Products and Services Accessibility Act came into force, which aims to increase accessibility to products and services (e.g. payment terminals, ticket machines, cash and payment machines, etc).[3]
The Equal Treatment Act has still not been amended.[4,5] From the perspective of people with disabilities, it is essential when amending the act that the scope of application is made uniform, so that discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited to the same extent as on the basis of nationality and race.
Despite the positions of disability organisations, the tax exemption for vehicles adapted and converted for persons with disabilities was removed from the Motor Vehicle Tax Act that came into force 1 January 2025.[6]
On 1 January 2024, the Compulsory Liability Insurance of Health Care Providers Act came into force – its purpose was to increase the quality of health services and patient safety (also to establish a system for reporting medical errors and to enable patients to receive compensation in a simplified manner in case of harm to health).[7]
Remote and writing translation service is established in the Social Welfare Act as a service provided by the state, which ensures better access to society for deaf and hard of hearing persons.[8]
In 2024, the regulation of the Minister of Social Protection was amended in relation to the Social Welfare Act by adding a section stating that in case of day and week care services the providers have no obligation to ensure a bedroom, even though the service has a 24-hour component, and at the same time, similar services are subject to stricter standards that are more respectful of a person’s privacy and human dignity.[9]
Case law
The Estonian Chamber of People with Disabilities (EPIKoda) is often turned to because people are not satisfied with or do not understand the decision to identify / not identify a disability.[10]
The court allowed an appeal challenging the SKA’s (the Social Insurance Board) decision to terminate around-the-clock special care service of a person with a severe mental disorder and refer them to general care. The court found that the SKA had not sufficiently substantiated the change in the person’s coping and had not considered the potential risks and negative effects of terminating the service. The guardian’s right to be heard was also violated, as they were not included in the decision-making process to the required extent. The decision was declared unlawful due to significant abuse of discretion.
Statistics and surveys
According to SKA’s data, the number of people with disabilities decreased from 145,000 to 104,000 in ten years, a decrease in ration from 11% to 7.6%.[11]
According to Statistics Estonia[12], the overall rate of people living in relative poverty remains the same (in 2011: 17.5% vs. in 2023: 20.2%), but for people with disabilities it has almost doubled (in 2011: 26.1% vs. in 2023: 41.1%).
According to the 2023 guardianship survey, the number of wards is growing (2958 persons in 2013 and 6036 persons in 2023) and the proportion of wards without the right to vote has also significantly increased (10% in 2013, 88% in 2023). Although guardianship can be granted partially, it is mostly granted in full. The study recommends transitioning to supported decision-making.
In 2024 and 2025 the National Audit Office published audits[13,14], which addressed the activities of the state and local governments in supporting people with special needs, including the care reform[15], provision of vocational education[16] and special care services[17], and the provision of healthcare services[18], which in turn support EPIKoda’s advocacy positions.
Promising and good practices
EPIKoda, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and with the support of the European Social Fund, opened an information point for family caregivers. The online environment is aimed at family caregivers, people with a need for care, specialists, and also anyone wishing to support their friend who is a family caregiver or a person with a need for care.[19]
The Chancellor of Justice addressed the heads of local governments and reminded them that Estonia has taken the obligation to make polling stations accessible.[20]
EPIKoda released 6 educational videos aimed at contributing to increasing awareness of accessibility in society[21], and an e-course “ABC of Accessibility”, which intends to promote awareness of accessibility in society by providing an introduction to disability-related special needs from the accessibility perspective.[22]
Noteworthy public discussions
EPIKoda brought attention to availability of special care services by organising a popular conference[23], participating in discussion in committees[24] and parliamentary groups at Riigikogu, which resulted in withdrawal of an amendment to an act that was harmful from the human point of view. Media coverage of special care services was also brought into discussion.[25,26,27,28,29,30,31]
A sign language choir was excluded from the 2025 Song Celebration, sparking debate about openness and inclusiveness of Estonian Society. As a result, new evaluation criteria for sign language choirs are being developed.[32]
Trends and outlook
The practice of assessing and identifying the degree of disability has changed, the number of people with an official degree of disability is decreasing. The state is considering combining disability and work ability assessment for working-age people.
The ability of local governments to ensure the necessary volume and level of welfare assistance and the opportunity for each disabled child to get an education close to home varies greatly. Regional inequality is increasing. People play a growing role in assessing the legitimacy of decisions in the social field, and where necessary, challenging them.
Relative poverty among disabled persons is high, people’s economic situation is fragile. In 2024, the relative poverty rate among disabled persons was 41.1%, in the general population it was 20.2%.
There is a growing need to turn to courts in case of problems in the field of social law, this advice is given in more complex disputes by local governments and public authorities themselves, as well as the Chancellor of Justice.[33] The will and ability of the individual to manage their affairs must be increasingly greater.[34]
Case study
The SKA has repeatedly identified a profound disability of a man who has a spinal cord injury and paralysis of four limbs as a result of a traffic accident in 1992. Since 2021, the SKA no longer identified a profound disability, even though the person repeatedly submitted new requests and objections. In 2024, again, severe disability was identified, which the person contested. The challenge was dismissed, which is why the person appealed to the administrative court. During court proceedings, the SKA reviewed its decision and identified the severity of profound disability. As the person had achieved the desired result, the court proceedings were terminated. The person then requested that the SKA identify the profound disability retroactively from 2021 until the end of the last severe disability period, and compensate for the difference in benefits. The SKA granted this request.
Recommendations
- Amend the Equal Treatment Act in a way that people with disabilites are protected from discrimination in all areas of life.
- Guarantee people with disabilities and people with chronic illnesses equal and appropriate social protection based on a common methodology for assessing their needs. Social protection assistance is critical for people and their loved ones in order to participate in education, work, and social life, and to maintain family relationships.
- The state must fulfil its obligations in guaranteeing special care service places.
Work towards withdrawal of the declaration based on Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and prepare for the transition from substitute decision-making to supported decision-making.
Ensure implementation of recommendations of the final report of the accessibility task force.
[1] Mõttekoda Praxis. 2025. Analüüs riiklike maksutõusude ja eelarvekärbete mõjust haavatavas olukorras sihtrühmadele, 02.05.2025.
[2] Riigikontroll. 2025. Ülevaade erihoolekandeteenuste kättesaadavusest, 05.09.2025.
[3] Riigi Teataja. 2022. Toodete ja teenuste ligipääsetavuse seadus, 30.05.2022.
[4] Anneli Habicht. 2021. Inimõigused Eestis 2022: Puuetega inimeste olukord, 10.12.2021.
[5] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2018. Puuetega inimeste eluolu Eestis.
[6] Vabariigi Presidendi Kantselei. 2024. President kuulutas välja mootorsõidukimaksu seaduse ja tulumaksuseaduse muutmise seaduse, 09.08.2024.
[7] Riigi Teataja. 2024. Tervishoiuteenuse osutaja kohustusliku vastutuskindlustuse seadus, 21.06.2024.
[8] Eelnõude Infosüsteem. 2025. Sotsiaalhoolekande seaduse, sotsiaalseadustiku üldosa seaduse ja väärtpaberite registri pidamise seaduse muutmise seadus, 10.07.2025.
[9] Riigi Teataja. 2025. Tervisekaitsenõuded erihoolekandeteenustele ja eraldusruumile, RT I, 14.11.2025, 18.
[10] Eelnõude Infosüsteem. 2025. Sotsiaalhoolekande seaduse, sotsiaalseadustiku üldosa seaduse ja väärtpaberite registri pidamise seaduse muutmise seadus, 10.07.2025.
[11] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2025. Statistika, veebis 07.12.2025.
[12] Eesti Statistikaamet. 2025. THV41: Vaesuse ja ilmajäetuse määr vanuserühma, soo ja puudelisuse järgi, veebis, 18.10.2025.
[13] Riigikontroll. 2024. Riigi tegevus erivajadustega inimeste toetamisel (keskvalitsuse tegevuse osa), 12.04.2024.
[14] Riigikontroll. 2024. Omavalitsuste tegevus erivajadustega inimeste toetamisel, 16.05.2024.
[15] Riigikontroll. 2025. Hooldereform, 03.02.2025.
[16] Riigikontroll. 2025. Haridusliku erivajadusega noorte kutseõpingute ja töölesiirdumise toetamine, 19.05.2025.
[17] Riigikontroll. 2025. Ülevaade erihoolekandeteenuste kättesaadavusest, 05.09.2025.
[18] Riigikontroll. 2024. Riigi tegevus tervishoiuteenuste kvaliteedi tagamisel, 07.03.2024.
[19] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2025. Omastehooldusest.ee, veebis 18.10.2025.
[20] Õiguskantsler. 2025. Puuetega inimeste õigused, veebis 18.10.2025
[21] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2024. Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Kojal on valminud teadlikkust tõstvad õppevideod, 21.04.2024.
[22] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2025. Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koja õpikeskkond, veebis 19.10.2025.
[23] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2025. Teema- ja inspiratsioonipäev “Kuhu lähed, erihoolekanne?”, 14.04.2025.
[24] Riigikogu. 2025. Komisjoni istung esmaspäev, 14.04.2025 kell 11.10, 22.04.2025.
[25] Delfi. 2025. Puuetega laste õigusi puudutavale eelnõule tõmmati pidurit, 15.04.2025.
[26] Õpetajate Leht. 2025. Erihoolekanne peab saama üheks riigi prioriteediks, 29.04.2025.
[27] Delfi. 2025. Surve pani sotsiaalministeeriumi meelt muutma. Erihoolekandeteenuse järjekorda saab lapse panna 16. eluaastast, 06.05.2025.
[28] Delfi. 2025. Uue eelnõuga üritab riik erihoolekande järjekordi lühendada, kuid esitab peredele ultimaatumi, 18.08.2025.
[29] Õhtuleht. 2025. Riik venitab aastaid, aga pere otsustagu nädalaga? Erihoolekande järjekorras ootab üle 2400 inimese, 25.08.2025.
[30] Tervise Arengu Instituut. 2025. Isikukeskne (eri)hoolekanne: paindliku rahastusega toetus kogukonna keskel, 09.09.2025.
[31] ERR. 2025. Maarja Krais-Leosk ja Kristi Kähär: erihoolekandeteenused on jõudnud kriisi, 25.09.2025.
[32] Õiguskantsler. 2025. Õiguskantsleri aastaülevaade 2024/2025. Puuetega inimeste õigused.
[33] Õiguskantsler. 2025. Abivajadusele vastava abi korraldamine, 16.06.2025.
[34] Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koda. 2025. Eesti Puuetega Inimeste Koja arengukava 2025 – 2030, 05.09.2025.
