title: Cost-benefit analysis for sheltered employment service programs for people with disabilities in Taiwan - a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to do a cost-benefit analysis with monetary and non-monetary benefits for sheltered employment service programs and try to provide more evidence-based information for policy makers and practitioners to understand the outcomes of sheltered employment services.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study analyzed 3 sheltered employment service programs for people with disabilities (2006-2007) implemented by Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan using cost-benefit analysis (including non-monetary benefits). Three groups were analyzed, including participants in the programs, taxpayers, and society (participants and taxpayers).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study found that the net social monetary benefit was $NT29,432.07 per participant per year and the benefit cost ratio was 1.43. (In 2006-2007, $US1 = $NT32.5 averagely around.) The net monetary benefit for the participants was between $NT7,890.86 and $NT91,890.86 per participant per year. On the non-monetary benefit side, the physical health (raised 7.49%), social relationship (raised 3.36%) domains, and general quality of life (raised 2.53%) improved. However, the psychological (decreased 1.51%) and working/environment (decreased 3.85%) domains backslided. In addition, the differences between pre-test and post-test average scores of all domains were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to use monetary and non-monetary cost-benefit analysis methods to analyze sheltered employment service programs for people with disabilities in Taiwan. The findings indicated that sheltered employment service programs for people with disabilities could be efficient and beneficial for the whole society and sheltered employees/clients, and also helpful for raising their quality of lives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. ytwang@ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Yun-Tung
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Jiun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ching-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016832:Employment, Supported / Q000191:economics*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D005380:Financing, Government; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000191:economics*; D012759:Sheltered Workshops / Q000191:economics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan