The Threshold Association

KYNNYS: THE THRESHOLD ASSOCIATION The Threshold Association is a disability organization that was founded in 1973 by disabled people and its main mission is based on three elements, human rights, independent living and culture, all to empower disabled people in Finland. They also have development projects in some third world countries. The head office is located in Helsinki, the capital, and the association has branches in five other cities in Finland: Tampere, Kuopio, Jyvaskyla, Oulu and Turku. It has 1,600 members. Threshold is a cross disability organisation in that there people with mobility disabilities, blind, deaf etc in the membership. The activities of the Threshold Association are based on the philosophy of the independent living movement. From 1988 it established this module and has since been raising awareness about the issue in Finland. The independent living philosophy’s main aim is to ensure that all disabled people have the freedom and opportunity to be able to do their daily activities may it be work, school, leisure activities etc and not be hindered by their disability. Important factors in these areas are advocacy, peer support, personal assistant system and other services for disabled people (transportation, sign language interpretation, access to information, access to the built environment etc.). The employees and decision makers in the organization are themselves disabled. The best trainer to a person with a disability is another person who has had similar experiences before.