[The future of vocational rehabilitation--vocational rehabilitation for the future. An explanation with the federal government's austerity measures].

Under the law on enhancing growth and employment (Wachstums- und Beschäftigungsförderungsgesetz-WFG), the legal entitlement to vocational rehabilitation hitherto stipulated in the employment promotion act (Arbeitsförderungsgesetz-AFG), has been restricted to a narrowly defined population; and pension insurance scheme spending in the entire rehabilitation field been "capped" to the 1993 level minus some 600 million DM. Moreover, the transitional allowance applicable for pension insurance rehabilitees will be lowered. In addition, economies amounting to some 500 million DM have been imposed on the federal employment service Bundesanstalt für Arbeit. These measures are placing persons with disability at a disadvantage, accept exclusion of entire groups of disabled persons, and endanger the very existence of numerous rehabilitation facilities previously established with significant amounts of public funding. A blind eye is being turned on the high level of demand for qualification measures, on the overall economic benefits of rehabilitation measures, and on the fact that measures of this kind are disabled persons' only chance to hold their own in the face of labour market competitiveness. Also, poor awareness seems to exist of the fact that, in the longer run, meaningful contributions to greater economy will more likely be generated by structural adjustment, increased effectiveness, and greater flexibility. The future of vocational rehabilitation is being placed at risk--notwithstanding that vocational rehabilitation for the future is imperative.