ABSTRACT
As a consequence, the radically ambiguous paradigm shift which has occurred over the last decades must be followed up by a shift towards a more coherent employmentoriented equal opportunity model. Whether this is to be seen as an evolutionary development (the latest step on a continuous path towards completion of the social model) or as another radical break - another paradigm shift, this time away from a system that is becoming unsustainable both in terms of fiscal affordability and in terms of social effectiveness, fairness and legitimacy and towards a new synthesis - is a small matter of interpretation. What is crucial is that the normalization and mainstreaming o f disability inherent in the social model finally moves away from modelling disability benefits primarily according to a lifelong retirement pension scheme without a return option, and moves instead more towards job-search, jobreturn and other (re-)start programmes.
