International Labour Organization Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Convention

The ILO Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention of 1983 aims primarily to facilitate the equalization of opportunities between workers with disabilities and other workers.  It focuses on both vocational rehabilitation and employment opportunities by supporting the availability of appropriate vocational rehabilitation to all categories of disabled persons, while promoting employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market. The practical measures promoted include the provision of vocational training and rehabilitation counselling, placement and employment in order to assist persons with disabilities in securing, retaining and advancing employment.  

The Convention stresses the need to make these services available and, moreover, to ensure the training of rehabilitation counsellors and other suitably qualified staff. Consequently, the focus is equally on the provision of services adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities.