Key messages

1. In Estonia, de-institutionalization for persons with disabilities has been taking place from the early 1990s through the dismantling of institutions and the movement of their inhabitants to community-based living units.
2. The adoption of a private-public partnership approach in Estonia has had promising results in providing accessible and affordable support for persons with disabilities to live independently within their communities.
3. One of the challenges of providing services for persons with disabilities in Estonia is the fact that it is a sparsely populated country. Hence, it is crucial to map the needs of persons with disabilities for inclusion in the community at the local level.