ABSTRACT
The Disability Statistics Compendium of the United Nations (1990) reported that in some of the participating countries the disability ranged between 2.4% to 20.9% of the total population. However, it must be noted that due to a lack of standardization in process, criteria, and reporting, the number of people who fall under the disabled category may have been grossly underestimated. Furthermore, in many of the developing countries the economic factors may blur the distinction between the disease and disability. Such a factor is likely to create a greater degree of apathy and lack of motivation to report appropriately the extent of disability. As early as in 1979 Grall reported that in the United States alone the total number of people considered handicapped was 62.3 million-30% of the entire US population. He also stated that up to 49 million people were considered to be permanently disabled and handicapped. He indicated that this population was also 30% older than the non-handicapped and at least three times more likely to be unemployed. As clearly it appears that disability and aging have a significant degree of overlap. It is worthy of note that the projections for the North American continent that by the year 2010 up to 40% of the overall population would be in their golden years. Furthermore, this group also tends to be economically not so well off. With a dwindling normal population and an increasing group with a disability, it may become an economic necessity for nations at large to incorporate this group in the work force. Due to the
economic hardship on people with disability, it also becomes an attractive proposition for them. The role of rehabilitation is to accomplish functional restoration to allow normal activities of daily living. Such normal activities then, merge with the working activities. The process of initial rehabilitation of people with disabilities to a normal living and subsequent vocational rehabilitation makes a systematic and comprehensive incorporation of ergonomics in rehabilitation attractive.
