Hypothesis

Rehabilitation is incomplete if the programme ignores the disabled person's own occupation plan.

Introduction

Clarke (1982) in his book Work in Crisis tries to analyse the significance of work, as a prelude to a study of the problems of the many unemployed people in the United Kingdom (UK). He says:

He then emphasises eight particular functions of employment that may appeal to people, and explains why people continue to work. Some of his ideas overlap with a list of six functions of work presented by Hayes & Nutman (1981) who were also concerned with unemployment. These two lists have been put together, with some more that I have added (Table 6.1). It is very significant that ten of the 11 functions can equally apply to people busy with occupations (hobbies, interests and voluntary work) where they still gain a great deal of benefit from what they do, without regular payment. Money is not the only result of work. If we therefore study the importance of occupation to people, and include paid or unpaid work, then the subject becomes much wider than the political and economically-determined one of employment. My hypothesis relates to occupation in this wider sense, rather than simply paid work.

Income

A job is the ‘key to the kingdom of consumption, it is the admission ticket by which the individual gains entrance to the goods and services the society produces’ (Cox, 1966). Money must be a major reason why people continue to do difficult or demanding jobs.