Proposal for an ICF-based methodology to foster the return to work of persons with disability

BACKGROUND: Employment is an essential component of life as it provides income, sense of engagement and opportunities for personal development. Unemployment due to disability following an accident may have dramatic social and psychological consequences on individuals; it is thus fundamental to foster return to work of these persons. OBJECTIVE: The present work was aimed to develop a methodology determining suitable jobs for people living with disability after a job-related accident. METHODS: The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) taxonomywas combined with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to match individual resources with specific job requirements. ICF Linking Rules were employed by two independent groups of researchers to associate ICF codes to O*NET skill and ability descriptors. RESULTS: O*NET descriptors were linked to 92 unique ICF codes. A "Criticality score" combining ICF and O*NET features to assess suitability of selected jobs for persons with disabilities was also proposed. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methodology represents a novel instrument to support return to work; the capability to assess specific work-related facets through the lens of both the ICF model and O*NET taxonomy would conceivably provide vocational rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapists with a useful tool fostering job placement of workers with disability.