TV4 has previously told about deafblind Evelina Lindberg and her struggle for support and communication in everyday life. A question that aroused a lot of emotion in Piteå.
Based on the Social Services Act, Evelina previously had a support person who knew tactile sign language – a special sign language where Evelina feels the interpreter’s hands.
The support person was with Evelina 20 hours per week. But at the end of last year, the municipality of Piteå pulled in the support person, according to the municipality, regular home care would be enough. For Evelina, this meant that she could no longer communicate with the staff.
– It has affected me a lot. I feel that mentally I am not well, I feel down and depressed. Eating badly, says Evelina Lindberg.
The municipality appealed to the Court of Appeal
After the municipality of Piteå pulled in Evelina’s support person, Evelina was vindicated in the administrative court, but the municipality appealed to the court of appeals, which ruled that the municipality has no legal obligations to offer communication support to Evelina.
– Sometimes it is important to get legal practice in individual matters, says Sven-Gösta Pettersson (S), chairman of the social welfare committee in Piteå.
The municipality’s actions have received strong criticism from many residents in Piteå. Demonstrations have been organized, lists of names have been signed and the local newspaper has been flooded with angry contributors. In the wake of this, the municipality is now presenting a new guideline for communication support for the deafblind, an initiative according to the chairman of the social committee.
– This is meant as an investment in the deafblind. We also have a deafblind representative, says Sven-Gösta Pettersson (S), chairman of the social committee.
“Not a solution”
The new guideline means that Evelina Lindberg is now entitled to four hours of interpreting support per week via the municipality. Previously, she had 20 hours a week.
– It is good that they are beginning to understand that they have to do something, but four hours per week is far too little for a deafblind person. The municipality has not investigated what it is like to be deaf-blind and what the needs of a deaf-blind person are. They have made a general decision in four hours and think they have made a great solution, but it is not a solution, says Evelina Lindberg.
– It feels like you are doing this to somewhat save your own skin, to show that you are doing something. But they do very little. A game for the gallery, says Ingela Lindberg, mother of Evelina.
Evelina and her mother have appealed the court of appeals verdict to the Supreme Administrative Court.