THE INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE INTO THE OPEN LABOUR MARKET: A SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE

It has been established that people with disabilities are in most cases excluded from society and major activities in society such as social recreation and employment in the open labour market. Only 1% of people with disabilities in South Africa are working in the open labour market. Only some of the 99% who do not work receive a small grant from the state, which is their only form of income (White Paper on Integrated National Disability Strategy 1997:2-3). It is an objective of the South African government to achieve equity in the open labour market. As little research has formally been done regarding the attitudes, perceptions and needs of employers regarding the integrating of people with disabilities into the labour market, the subject of this study is relatively new. The researchers have therefore conducted an exploratory research study to explore employment possibilities for people with disabilities, the attitudes, perceptions and needs of employers as well as barriers that prevent the employment of disabled people. On the basis of this information the researchers have described guidelines for a training programme for employers to integrate people with disabilities into the open labour market