title: Development of vocational training systems for patients with intellectual disability in Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The problem of employment of people with intellectual disabilities is present in many countries. The literature on this topic draws attention to the fact that the improvement of the situation in this area is conditioned by changes in government policies, practices of employers and adequate preparation to undertake professional duties by persons with intellectual disabilities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this review was to explore the changes in vocational rehabilitation forms in Poland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As one of the ways to solve this problem since 1991 in Poland the so called Workshops of Vocational Therapy have been created. According to the regulations the Workshops were designed for adults with intellectual disabilities, aged over 16 years with a total incapacity of gaining an employment, for which occupational therapy was a form of social rehabilitation. The further step in this process was the establishment of Vocational Activation Centers, with which high hopes were associated. They were expected to be an intermediate link in the creation of career paths from rehabilitation forms ultimately to open labor market. In practice it turned out that the creation of these Centers in Poland has been too slow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This raised the necessity to change the attitude from the concept of matching the participant to work and to the new environment, which frequently ends as a trauma, to the concept of matching jobs to people. New initiatives and new rehabilitation programs are developed based on this attitude.
authors.affiliation: Polish Association for Persons with Mental Handicap, Branch in Bytom, ul. Powstańców Śląskich 17, 41-902 Bytom, Poland, krystowa@plusnet.pl.
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krysta
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krysta
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zawada
authors.forename: Wiesław J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Cubała
authors.forename: Mariusz S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wiglusz
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakuszkowiak-Wojten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D011640:Public Policy / Q000639:trends; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D012759:Sheltered Workshops / Q000639:trends