fundamental and human rights �.� national preventive mechanism against torture cumstances must be taken into consideration in applying them (Oppilaskoti Jolla, Vaalijala joint authority, 6421/2017). Disabled persons have the right to be informed of their rights and the rights and obligations of the rehabilitation unit with regard to the arrangement of rehabilitation and care. The Ombudsman considered it important that the rehabilitation unit should increase the clients’ awareness of their right to self-determination and other rights (7007/2017). The rehabilitation unit reported that, after the visit, the unit had started informing its clients of their right to self-determination and their other rights. Clients are free to ask questions and present ideas to the organisation’s experts on the right of self-determination. Use of secure rooms A secure room can be used to calm a person in special care for the intellectually disabled, if an individual behaving problematically would otherwise be likely to endanger the person’s own health or safety, the health or safety of others or cause significant property damage. The use of a secure room requires the conditions specified in the Act on Intellectual Disabilities for short-term isolation of up to two hours to be met. A secure room could also be used in cases in which shutting the person in their own room would cause a negative emotional experience connected to the room, which should be a safe and pleasant place for the person. On the other hand, if isolation in the person’s own room is considered to have a soothing effect on the person, it should be preferred to the secure room. During the visit, it turned out that use of the unit’s secure room had decreased significantly from 2016. This was found to be connected to the amendments to the Act on Intellectual Disabilities that entered into force on 10 June 2016. The maximum duration of short-term isolation is two hours, and the preparatory documents for the Act note that isolating the client in his or her own room is to be preferred if it would have a soothing effect on the client. The rehabilitation unit had set the target of being able to handle challenging situations without recourse to the secure room. When isolation has been required, it has usually been ended in 1–2 hours. The achievement of this On the right a view to a security room which has a separate wc. Below a peephole of a door to a security room. 114