Abstract
STF78 A06008 Telenor’s Handicap-Programme has achieved its aim of providing a springboard into working life for persons with disabilities. The evaluation shows that the programme has had positive consequences for both participants and companies, in addition to bringing major social economic benefits. For this reason, cooperation with Aetat and working-life centres should be strengthened in order to raise awareness of this scheme. Telenor’s Handicap-Programme is a two-year training and work-training programme for people with activity limitations. The programme is intended to give participants work experience and it comprises courses, real work training and follow-up measures. In formal terms, the Handicap-Programme is defined as work plus support. The programme has been in existence since 1994, and was previously evaluated by SINTEF IFIM in 1999. The programme has now be re-evaluated, this time by SINTEF Health Research. The aim of the evaluation was to find out what consequences the Handicap-Programme has had for participants, for the companies involved and for society as a whole. Data were gathered through focus group meetings, individual meetings with participants and managers and via aquestionnaire distributed to previous and current participants. The evaluation shows that the Handicap-Programme has largely succeeded in meeting its principal objectives: to act as a springboard to working life for people with disabilities, to give such people the knowledge and experience they need to break out of an existence as social services clients, and to help to change attitudes and create acceptance of the idea of people with disabilities taking part in normal working life. The participants felt that both the courses and the work experience phase gave them the competence and experience that they needed to go to work, though a minority felt that there was insufficient follow-up in certain areas. The questionnaire study also showed that three out of every four participants had
