For a sign language user 

Counselling and support for sign language users who need assistance with everyday activities. 

• A sign language interpreter: an Estonian sign language interpreter to help with using public services or participating in family gatherings, 3-4 hours a month
• Social counselling in sign language: assistance with solving everyday problems, finding work and communicating. 
• Sign language studybooks for children and parents: sign language e-textbooks for children with hearing impairments and their hearing family members in order for them to communicate in sign language 
• Remote sign language service: free remote sign language service is dedicated to people with hearing loss (mainly deaf). The remote interpretation service is provided via Skype. 

Support services and support person

Services which help a person with special needs to cope independently at home and outside of their home. 

• Personal assistant: physical assistance with daily life, assistance with moving, a helper for a person with a physical disability.
• Home nurse: for a patient who does not need hospital care but requires nursing care.
• Home service: sssistance with cleaning, heating or other housework, going to the store or pharmacy.  Assistance with hygiene procedures. 
• Technical aids: assistive technology with a discount from the government 
• Support person for a person with intellectual disability: support and guidance in daily life, helping them in the right direction, motivating them to become more independent 
• Support service for a person with mental illness: support for a person with mental illness. This service can also be used in a case where the person is not ready to accept help themselves. 
• Benefit for guide dogs: benefits paid to a person with profound or near-total visual impairment for a guide dog, paid quarterly.
• Everyday life support: special care service for a person who needs everyday guidance, counselling, personal assistance and supervision due to their mental health.  
• Rehabilitation services through Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund or Social Insurance Board. Services for people with disabilities or reduced working capacity to teach and develop everyday skills, enhance their opportunities to participate in society, support them in fulfilling the prerequisites to work or study.  

Support for carers 

A carer of a person with special needs can apply to get carer benefits or a short-term vacation from caregiving. 

• A carer for a disabled person: assigning a carer to an adult with special needs. Applying for carer benefits. 
• Replacing a carer looking after a family member: taking care of a dependent person if the carer looking after the family member needs a short-term vacation and free time.
• Setting up a guardianship: the proceeding takes place in court.  A person is appointed a legal guardian who protects their assets, rights and interests if they cannot do so themselves due to their mental health.  

Social benefits and economic viability

• Subsidience support: aid to ensure coping: compensation for the cost of medication, assistance aids or other necessary tools for life.
• Income-based benefits: aid for compensating the cost of medication, assistance aids or other tools necessary for life. 
• Pension supplement: paid to old-age or disabled pensioners and those with a limited capacity to work on the month prior to their birthday.
• Benefit for guide dogs: benefits paid to a person with profound or near-total visual impairment for a guide dog, paid quarterly.
• Debt counselling: counselling on how to manage and pay off your current debt and avoid new debt. 
• Budget counselling: advising a person and their family on how to manage their money better and avoid debt.

Housing

Support services for people with special needs at home and finding a living space via social services. 

• Compensating the costs of adapting the living space: adapting the home for a disabled person, installing ramps and independent coping at home for a physically disabled person.
• Home service: assistance with cleaning, heating or other housework, going to the store or pharmacy Assistance with hygiene procedures. 
• Alarm button: helps to increase the sense of safety for older adults and disabled people living at home as well as ensure that help reaches the person as fast as possible.
• Social housing: allotment of living space, social housing for Tallinn residents.
• Support for returning to independent life: social housing, counselling and guidance to improve a person or a family’s coping abilities, support for independent life.
• Special care services: support services for people with special needs, supported living and community living services and 24/7 special care on the service provider’s offered living space. This must be requested via the Social Insurance Board. 
• General care home: 24/7 care at a general care home for a person whose coping abilities cannot be ensured with social services or other assistance options.

Transport and access 

• Tallinn’s accessibility information system: information about accessibility in Tallinn’s public facilities can be found on this map. The website is dedicated to people with special needs as well as parents, the elderly and tourists. 
• Social transportation: a transport service paid fully or partially by the city for people with physical disabilities, visual impairment, mental illness or psychological disabilities for regular or one-time rides. 
• Technical aids: requesting technical aids with a discount from the government. 
• Personal assistant: physical assistance with daily life, assistance with moving, a companion for a person with a physical disability.
• Parking pass: easily accessible parking spots for a person with a disability or their companion.

Peer counselling

• Peer counselling for visually impaired people: group and individual peer counselling, enhancing everyday skills, social inclusion. Also for people who have suffered trauma or injury and are having trouble adjusting to the changes in their life.
• Peer counselling for those with mental illness: aid and support from a person who has recovered well from a mental illness, offering encouragement and motivation.
• Psychosocial counselling for children and adults with visual impairment: disability-specific counselling for family members and their support network, developing the client’s skills.

Working and studying 

• Work centres and support for working and long-term sheltered employment: job options for those who are not able to work in usual working conditions on the open job market due to their special needs and need a suitable work environment, feasible work, guidance and assistance. 
• Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund’s services: adapting the workplace, assessing work capability, secure job, career counselling and incapacity benefits for those with reduced work capacity.
• Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre: study opportunities in a supportive and calm study environment, individual approach.
• Employment law counselling: the counsellor can answer questions regarding job contracts, vacation, salary and work relationships.
• Creating audio material: turning information and study materials on paper into audio files.

Free time 

• Tallinn Activity Centre for the Disabled: spending free time in accessible rooms, courses and activities. 
• Day centres of districts: hobby and free time activities, social services, catering.
• Home Library Service: order books for delivery to your home once a month.
• Creating audio material: turning information and study materials on paper into audio files.
• Day centre for older adults with memory impairment: s safe environment for older people with dementia who need care during the day. For families who cannot leave their elderly relative home alone. 

Institutions offering services to people with special needs 

• Käo Support Centre – everyday care services available for adults
• Support Centre Juks – for people with intellectual disabilities who are at least 18 years old.
• Tallinn Mental Health Centre – mental health services for adults with psychological special needs and their families.

Tallinn’s Social Welfare and Health Care Department’s projects 

Projects of the European Social Fund and Tallinn’s Social Welfare and Health Care Department to support those with special needs. 

• Person-Centred Special Welfare Service Model on the Basis of the Local Government Organisation