title: Rehabilitation for employment. The Rehabilitation Centre of the Association for the Physically Disabled at Bridgetown, Athlone, CP.
abstract: Results of rehabilitation of physically disabled people for employment on the open labour market over the period 1975-1985 are presented. Out of 680 eligible clients, 53% were successfully placed. When corrected for uncontrollable withdrawals and uncontrollable dismissals the success rate rises to 77% (363 of 471 clients). The drop-out rate of 16% for preventable reasons and a partially preventable wastage of 31% are highlighted for potential action and improvement. The main reasons for admission were trauma (motor vehicle accidents, assaults and industrial injuries), poliomyelitis and congenital abnormalities in a ratio of 4:3:1. These groups accounted for 82% of all admissions. The problem of adequate evaluation and screening to predict outcome reliably is discussed and the use of a modified version of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps of the World Health Organisation is advocated. Of those clients who were successfully placed, 75-80% remained in employment for more than 1 year and 55-60% for more than 2 years. On the whole, the rehabilitation process appears to lead to successful re-integration into the working community for most of the physically disabled persons admitted to the Centre.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, University of Cape Town, Athlone, CP.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Mets
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000639:trends*; D013019:South Africa