Social participation of employed and unemployed Israelis with disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between employment and social participation among a random, national sample of 597 Israelis with disabilities of working age. Overall findings indicated that employed people with disabilities were significantly more integrated in social and civic activities than the unemployed. Whereas most of the unemployed attributed their restricted patterns of participation to the lack of adequate financial resources, accessible transportation, and encouragement from community organizations, the employed reported lack of time as their main barrier. These findings suggest that employment and rich community participation patterns might reinforce each other and thus serve as a potential vehicle for promoting social integration for people with disabilities in their communities.