Background: The importance of using evidence to inform the policymaking process has been well established in the literature and practice. In Western countries evidence-based policy (EBP) is already accepted and implemented in many policy areas, including disability policy. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) the interest in EBP (evidence-based…

The work presented is part of a study that the research group CIFO (Research Team in Training for the Labour Market, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona) has carried out, relating to the training needs analysis and basic competences and skills in the environment of sheltered employment centres (SECs) in Catalonia (this study was…

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the vocational rehabilitation services provided to people with disabilities according to international standards in Jordan. The sample of the study consisted of (56) managers and teachers in four specialized centers in vocational rehabilitation. The findings showed that the compatibility degree ranged…

The authors of this study examined the relation between job demands and psychological detachment from work during off-job time (i.e., mentally switching off) with psychological well-being and work engagement. They hypothesized that high job demands and low levels of psychological detachment predict poor well-being and low work engagement. They…

Evaluation of pricing practices of sheltered workshops in Australia indicated that most workshops undercharge for their services with the consequence that they are unable to pay realistic wages to disabled employees. (Author/DB)

Operation Heracles sought to promote the social and occupational advancement of workers with disabilities in sheltered workshops and occupational therapy centers in the Lower Rhine region. Preparation of workers for mainstream workplaces involved skills reviews, retraining, placement, and follow-up, with family participation. (SK)

Across nations, sheltered workshops for people with disabilities follow several models: therapeutic (protection vs. employee status), intermediate (disabled worker as "quasi-employee"), mixed/dual, and wage employment (protection and labor legislation). Impairment should present no insurmountable obstacle to integration into working life. (SK)

The study investigated vocational activities of 274 English young people between the ages of 15 and 21. Two-thirds entered occupational centers for disabled adults; only 5% found a job in open employment. The physically impaired experienced a more difficult transition but the mentally impaired faced a more limited range of vocational choices.…

Committees of representatives from business, government, education, and voluntary service agencies were formed to coordinate employment opportunities and employer needs with the growing need to integrate the handicapped and hard-to-employ into the labor force. Alternatives of suitable job training, sheltered or direct employment, or other needed…

The main task of rehabilitation in Poland is the maximum integration of the disabled into ordinary life. Developmental trends in recent years have focused on rehabilitation services for the chronically ill. The document provides information on the organization of rehabilitation services in Poland and discusses specific problems of rehabilitation…

As part of two research projects on schools for the mentally retarded and their employment possibilities, this report describes the regular and special education systems in the Netherlands, examines the situation of adults who attended the special schools, and discusses segregative circumstances in the Netherlands. The first chapter provides an…

Information on an international survey on policies and practices in sheltered employment was conducted by questionnaires in English and Spanish in 65 countries, and by interviews in India and the United States. For convenience this report retained the traditional words "sheltered workshop," even though leaders in some countries are beginning to…

The study described in the first part of this two-part document identified the kind of ongoing support that would be most beneficial to all those concerned in the employment of young people with disabilities in England and Wales. Semistructured interviews were conducted with employers, representatives of preparation and placement agencies, and…

Sheltered work programs for the handicapped in five European countries (Denmark, Sweden, Poland, West Germany, and The Netherlands) are described in this paper. Basic features of the programs in each country are discussed, including population, financing, and aspects of the programs that can be applied in helping America improve employment…

Major research findings are synthesized and innovations of current concern to vocational rehabilitation professionals are reported in this document, which covers the area of sheltered industrial employment. It is intended to provide a state-of-the-art review of worldwide experience and conceptualizations regarding accommodated or sheltered…