Single-Minded or Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere. Experiences in Vocational Rehabilitation Measures from Adults with Disabilities.

In Germany, a wide range of labour market policy measures are available within the framework of vocational rehabilitation to support people with disabilities in re-entering the labor market. In our analyses, we are exploring the pitfalls and challenges in vocational rehabilitation of adults, presenting findings of our qualitative study ‘Evaluation of the participation of disabled persons in working life’. The empirical material consists of semi-structured individual interviews of 50 rehabilitants in vocational rehabilitation in responsibility of the Federal Employment Agency (FEA). The analyses are based on a life-course perspective and the capability approach. Amongst other differences, the persons differ in their type of disability, their social background and environmental context. We identify two contrasting groups differing in the type of disability and their social context which lead to differences in their occupational orientation. On the one hand, there are people with mostly physical disabilities or disabilities of the internal organs, who usually have a very target-oriented curriculum vitae, often do an apprenticeship for commercial staff and have concrete job positions after the end of rehabilitation. However, even if they did not find a job immediately, they would still regard the qualification received during rehabilitation as an important investment in their future career. On the other hand, there a people mostly with psychological disabilities also in a vocational rehabilitation for the commercial sector, but only in training measures. They often fail to complete their measures and are still uncertain, whether the training and the professional direction are appropriate for them. The allocation in measures by the FEA placement officers somehow reflects the assumed capacities of rehabilitants. Since the professional orientation and integration of people with psychological disabilities seems rather difficult, one should consider supporting them in other ways to re-enter the labour market.