Abstract
BackgroundIt is still difficult for people with physical impairments to be and remain equally integrated into the labour market. For this reason, the question of occupational activity has explicitly been examined by the German Spinal Cord Injury Survey (GerSCI) in order to identify barriers and facilitators for labour market participation.MethodsCross-sectional explorative observational study. The GerSCI survey is the German part of the International Spinal Cord Injury Survey (InSCI). Using survey data from persons recruited at eight specialised SCI-centres in Germany. Participants: 1.479 persons with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) aged 18 years and older.ResultsIn a self-disclosure questionnaire, persons with SCI show themselves as a professionally well-educated and highly motivated group with most of them aiming at gainful employment and considering themselves fit for work. Many changeable and non-changeable factors have been found, which showed a high correlation with the return to work after acquired SCI.ConclusionEducation and pain belong to the most critical factors and thereby possible approaches to increase the level of employment, which is essential and highly relevant not only for earning money but also for self-confidence and social integration. SCI has many dimensions in itself; support also should be multidimensional. Study results might help to improve participation.
Highlights
It is still difficult for people with physical impairments to be and remain integrated into the labour market
The German Spinal Cord Injury Survey (GerSCI) survey is the German part of the International Spinal Cord Injury Survey (InSCI)
The data in our study indicates that vocational reintegration measures are of importance: Of those who had returned to work, 62.0% had participated in a vocational re-integration measure
Summary
It is still difficult for people with physical impairments to be and remain integrated into the labour market. In Germany, the support for participation in working life of people with disabilities is anchored in the Social Code Book IX (§ 166 SGB IX) in the so-called inclusion agreement. This agreement regulates the cooperation between the employee representatives, in particular the representative body for persons with severe disability, and the employer. They have to agree on objectives for improving the integration of persons with disability in the respective company.
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