DISABLED PEOPLE: THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN PURSUING PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS

Abstract

The paper presents theoretical considerations about people with disabilities and their expectations and opportunities in meeting professional and social needs. An analysis of the literature and legislation shows that the concept of disability is a multi-dimensional one. In the labour market system, the definition of disability refers to the degree, type and group of disabilities. In the vocational education system, the concept of special educational needs or special developmental needs has been introduced which diagnoses young people according to their opportunities, difficulties or limitations. An important task in the education system and in the labour market is to monitor the individual needs of people with disabilities and take initiatives to increase employment and professional activity in the open labour market. Appropriate identification of individual needs and possibilities of the disabled sets new tasks or improvement tasks for institutions and organisations supporting preparation for work, employment and professional activity of disabled people. The paper points to the importance of individualisation in meeting the needs of disabled people. It discusses the expectations of people with disabilities, which most often concern the choice of profession, vocational training, obtaining a job and professional independence, and employment, improvement and activity in the labour market. It formulates the needs for introducing integration measures on the basis of flexible and ad hoc tasks increasing access to education and workplaces and other forms of increasing mobility on the labour market. It shows the need to create a system to support the activity of non-governmental organizations working for the benefit of education, socio-occupational rehabilitation and professional activity. A system based on an individual approach to people with disabilities will contribute to the creation of new opportunities in vocational education, employment in the open labour market and to the integration and positive reception of disability in the local environment.