3. Oskar Wetzelliä’ s printing house in the 1920s. Vocational training was provided in the house.( Source: Finnish Museum of the Deaf) primarily concerned violations of linguistic and cultural rights, as well as reproductive health rights. These violations, in turn, had widespread impacts on other fundamental rights, including the rights to education, employment, and participation in cultural and social life.
In 2015, Finland took an important step by enacting the Sign Language Act, which aimed to protect the linguistic and cultural rights of the sign language community. The country’ s sign language interpretation service is now considered one of the best in the world. However, despite these advancements, the legacy of eugenic ideology remains present in institutional structures and societal attitudes.
Following the publication of Signed Memories, the Finnish government commissioned a second study to assess the need for psychosocial support for the deaf and sign language community. This study aimed to help the community process past harms and move toward healing and justice. A working group was established to explore next steps. It included representatives from both community and government institutions.
As a result of this process and ongoing advocacy, the Finnish government officially acknowledged the injustices faced by the deaf and sign language community. In early June 2025, the government formally launched a truth and reconciliation process. This included the release of a mandate document and the appointment of a secretariat and steering group to oversee the process.
The secretariat, while housed under the Ministry of Justice, operates as an independent body. It has been tasked with establishing working groups, conducting further studies, and preparing a final report by the end of 2027. The steering group consists of representatives from five community organizations as well as a representative from the government.
To support the process, the government has allocated € 1.8 million, with the process scheduled to run for two years. This marks a historic moment— not only for Finland but globally— as it is the first truth and reconciliation process in which a government officially addresses historical injustices against a disability community.
Discussion and concluding remarks
The success of the truth and reconciliation process requires more than just cooperation between the deaf and sign language community and the government— it also demands active engagement and genuine ownership of Finnish society as a whole. The ultimate goal is social transformation, ensuring that the injustices of the past are not repeated.
Globally, many governments have engaged in truth and reconciliation processes to address
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Observing Memories ISSUE 9