Societal acceptance of community-based services

Despite the current challenging and worsening economic situation, the acceptance level in the society for people with disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, living in their neighbourhoods is slowly improving. A study commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs in November 2022, conducted by Norstat Estonia[1] shows that over 1.5 years since 2021, the percentage of people who would feel uncomfortable about meeting a person with learning disabilities/mental health issues has decreased from 65 per cent to 60 per cent, while the percentage of those afraid of such people has decreased from 32 per cent in 2021 to 27 per cent in 2022.

The study interviewed 1,000 people all over Estonia. The positive trend is minor, but along with media coverage addressing the advantages of community-based independent living solutions, it is a step in the right direction.