The training for Accessibility Consultants was started 1996 by Ms. Almén when she notice how difficult it was for the representatives of the disability organisations to present their requirements on accessibility.

Ms. Grönroos, graduate from a school of social work and public administration, manager for Intek, a work unit for persons with different kinds of disabilities. Former manager of a work center in Jakobstad, which is a vocational rehabilitation survey unit. She is member of the steering group for Equal Response and is active in the implementations of the Swedish training within the project.

The Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted is a national institution. The purpose of the institute is, through advise and education, to facilitate the greatest possible compensation for the effects of visual impairment. The issues around the individual are always dealt with in close corporation with the local authorities (country and council). The Institute has about 200 staff members, divided into 30 groups of professionals. The Institute organises its daily routines and activities across professional groupings.

Mr. Håkan Jartelius is 25 years old and has CP since birth. He has studied computer information at a school called Hyper Island in Karlskrona. He works at the administrative office of Blekinge University of Technology and has earlier worked at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.He is specialised on creation of web sites and helps also the university to make it accessible for disabled persons.

The VATES Foundation promotes the employment of the disabled people , in particular persons with disabilities who are not readily employable, taking their individual rehabilitation needs into account and in a manner appropriate to the individual and society.

VATES Foundation in FINSE = Finnish Network of Supported Employment in the EQUAL project "Worth the Work", the aim of which is to develop special education and special employment.

Lars Lindberg, political adviser, former Head of the Swedish accessibility centre which is a part of the Swedish disability ombudsman. The Swedish accessibility centre draws up guidelines for accessibility. He has been earlier engaged in disability organisations and has since birth impaired hearing. He has also worked as adviser on the social department with a bill ' the national action plan for the disability policy'. Works now as political adviser within disability policy, for cabinet minister Berit Andnor: Mr. Lindberg has also written many articles and reports on accessibility and on the discrimination legislation.

Christina Magnusson works for the Swedish National Labour Market Board in the field of work-orientated rehabilitation. As a national co-ordinator she e.g. follows up development work, initiate further training for specialists and general staff and disseminate information on the services for the hard of hearing, the deaf and the deaf blind.

The National Labour Market Administration (AMV) carries out a Work for All-strategy, naturally including people with functional impairments. Different services and labour market programmes are offered to job seekers and employers and specialised employment offices provide support to persons with special needs. With reference to people who are hard of hearing there are five offices spread over the country with staff that has appropriate specialist competence and a great deal of experience. Two of these offices also offer services to people who are deaf blind. For the deaf one office has a nation wide coverage but works in co-operation with eleven deaf consultants.

Ms. Norrgård is specialised in conductive pedagogy. She has an own class and works also as supervising teacher in conductive pedagogy.She works both with adults and children and is also specialised on the Teacc-methodology, the Karlstad methodology, brain gymnastics etc.

Philippa Simkiss has worked in the field of disability and employment for 12 years. She is responsible for establishing the strategic direction of employment policy and services provided by RNIB, working with regional teams of labour experts who deliver services direct to blind and partially sighted people. She also manages employment development projects including this ESF Objective 3 evaluation.

Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB), UK
ESF Objective 3 funding is used to provide training programmes to assist disadvantaged people to progress towards the labour market.

After conducting over 100 interviews with project staff, bid writers and beneficiaries we have suggested ways to improve access for disabled people to ESF Objective 3 funded training

The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) is the largest organisation representing blind and partially sighted people in the UK. RNIB’s mission is “challenging blindness.”

www.syi.fi

Activities within three main areas:- to develop, produce and market new teaching aids - to act as information center - to cover interests of Swedish speaking people and acting as contact to Finnish and Nordic co-operation partners. Partner in the EU-Project Regional Navigator - a three years project within employment and training of disabled persons.

Marjaana Suosalmi works as Chief of Education at the Finnish Association on Mental Retardation. She is responsible for educating staff and supervising different kind of development projects to improve services for people with (intellectual) disabilities. Since 1970's she has worked for many organisation for people with deafness and deafblindness in Finland and Sweden. Internationally interesting has been her tasks as Director of the Nordic Staff Training Centre for Deafblind Services and as consultant in East Africa. She was the President of the Deafblind International 1995-99.

The Finnish Association of Mental Retardation (FAMR) is a national central organisation and a co-operative forum for organisations and persons working for a better quality of life for people with intellectual disability as well as others in need of support in learning, understanding and communicating.

Mr. Snellman is since 1990 principal for Yrkesträninggskolan (Vocational training school), which is the only Swedish special school in Finland. Mr. Snellman has earlier worked with young people with social and emotional problems, with autistic children and disabled adults. He is politically active and is member of SPERES (the Swedish pedagogic resource centre).

The vocational training school has today ten units in the Swedish speaking parts of Finland. The objective is that every student is guaranteed a job after the school, independent housing and active leisure time.

Mr. Snellman has initiated many sustainable networks in order to support disabled in their daily life. The school has also been partner in many EU-projects in order to disseminate know-how and to exchange knowledge with other European and African partners.

Kristina Ström, Unit of Special Education, Åbo Akademi University Ms Ström has a PhD in special education. She has worked as a lecturer and researcher at Åbo Akademi University since 1991.

Anneli Toppinen, MSc (Pedagogy), Remedial Teacher. Lecturer within social- and healthcare education. Anneli Toppinen is now working as a remedial teacher at Kaprakka Vocational Training Center in Iidensalmi, Finland.

Pawel Wdowik, born in 1967, received Master degree in psychology at psychology department of Warsaw University. In 1989-90 participated in one year scholarship in the United States, which allowed him to learn the impact of equal rights policy on the situation of persons with disabilities.

In 1991 he created the first computer center for blind and partially sighted students in Poland, where he worked as its head. In 1996 he was called to become the Rector's deputy for persons with disabilities. He was responsible for preparing the principles of Warsaw University policies concerning persons with disabilities. In 2000 he became the director of the Office for persons with disabilities created at Warsaw University as the result of four years of functioning the deputy for persons with disabilities. In addition since 1993 he was a lecturer at college for special education in Warsaw. Now he is also the member of national committee for the year 2003 as the European year for persons with disabilities.

Warsaw University is the biggest University in Poland - with total number of 55 thousand of students. There are about 250 students with disabilities who registered in the office for persons with disabilities. Since 1996 university decided to become the pioneer in making highereducation accessible. Now it is a leader in accessibility at this level of education. One of ten polish universities offering services for personswith disabilities.