Welcome to Estonia
EuroCurrency in Estonia
Today’s Weather
6
°C
08:06 AM
Wednesday
Basic Country Profile
Location: The most Northerly of the three Baltic states
Population: 1.3 million
Capital: Tallinn
Major languages: Estonian, Russian
Major religion: Christianity
Currency: Euro
Terrain: Mostly flat
Climate: Temperate and mild
Dial code: +372
Time zone: GMT+3
Emergency numbers:
112 – Universal Emergency Number
Disability Legislations and Policies
Estonia adopted the CRPD in May 2006. The number of persons with disabilities who have been assigned a degree of disability has increased in Estonia year by year, whereas the size of population is decreasing.Since 2004 the number of persons with disabilities has increased by 42%, thereby making 10.7% of the population as of 1 January 2013 (2011 – 9,6%) or 137,710 persons.
Travel Related Information
Estonian law requires that most new public buildings and others with community space (e.g., shopping centers) be accessible for persons with disabilities. However, many older buildings are not required to meet these requirements.
Getting around in Estonian cities and towns may be difficult at times since many sidewalks are narrow and uneven, and cobblestone streets—particularly in Tallinn’s popular Old Town-make access difficult. In general, mobility is easier in cities such as Tallinn, Tartu, and Pärnu compared to smaller towns and rural areas.
Roads and sidewalks in the winter can get quite icy, which makes getting around more difficult. In general, public transport is not accommodating to people with disabilities, although selected Tallinn public buses are specially equipped to assist persons in wheelchairs, and many Tallinn buses, trolleys and trams have travel escorts (reisisaatjad) who will assist riders with disabilities. Many of these escorts will not speak English, however.
The English-language website of the Estonian Visitors Bureau contains general information for visitors with disabilities, specific information for travellers who are blind and those using wheelchairs, and general accessibility information for hotels and other accommodations in Estonia.
An Estonian advocacy group for persons with disabilities, Freedom of Movement (Liikumisvabadus) has a site that provides specific accessibility ratings for hundreds of businesses and public buildings in Estonia, as well as other useful information.