People with disabilities and the changing labor market: Some challenges for counseling practice and research on workplace counseling

Nearly a quarter of the entire population of the EU has a disability. Disabled employees have become increasingly integrated into the labor force. According to a national survey and an international literature review, disabled people's experiences enrich the cultural diversity of the workplace. The purpose of the present paper is to present current research trends and identify future research needs in terms of occupational counseling for disabled employees. Research in this area poses many challenges, and there is a clear need for an interdisciplinary approach. Counseling-oriented, work-oriented and manager-based models are discussed in this paper. Counseling can promote collaboration with various agencies, such as family organizations, educators and managers, thus laying the foundations for developing the competencies needed in the labor markets of the future. The paper goes on to discuss the role of empowerment, self-advocacy and social relations over the life span.