ABSTRACT
Much of the discussion in the conference Transforming Disability into Ability is about the dual objectives of disability policy. The disability policy about ways to prevent the exclusion of disabled citizens from economic and social life, particularly from the regular labour market, and measures to ensure that those who suffer from a disability have a secure income and do not fall into poverty. Across the Economic Co-operation and Development a large variety of approaches pursues the involvement of employers, ranging from mandating employment quotas over antidiscrimination legislation to the provision of incentives. The plenary discussion evolved around three intimately related major themes, the lessons to be drawn from existing disability policies, the involvement of employers, and the trade-off between job retention and new hires. Disability and specifically rehabilitation are a case in point, since - at least according to experience - too often spells of poor health turn into permanent disability and, thus, exclusion from the workforce.
