본 연구는 우리나라 장애인 직업재활시설에 대해 사명, 가치, 리더십, 인적 자원과 훈련개발, 재정 상태와 주요 서비스 및 생산 품목들을 중심으로 조사하였다. 장애인 직업재활시설의 발전과 효율성 제고를 위해 필요한 노력과 영역들이 어떠한가에 관해 연구한 결과 장애인 직업재활시설의 정책적 지원요소로 직원 인건비 기준의 상향조정, 정부 지원과 시설편의, 인력지원이 매우 시급한 형편으로 드러났고 제도개선과 임금보조에 역시 높은 욕구를 보이고 있다. 이러한 현상은 우리나라 장애인 직업재활시설의 재정적 취약성을 보여주는 것이다. 시설의 효율성을 높이려면 적정한 수준의 시설 예산과 더불어 양질의 인력이 충원되어야 한다. 이런 조사연구의 결과로 인해 얻을 수 있는 결론은 다음과 같다. 직업재활시설의 형태와 역할은 중증장애인의 진로개발과 직업생활에 그 초점이 맞추어져야 한다. 또 직업재활시설도 직업세계로의 통합을 위한 기관으로서 장애의 종류와 정도를 불문하고 모든 중증 장애인에게 개방되어야 한다. 즉, 최소한의 경제적 효율을 야기해낼 수 있어야 한다는 사항이 유일한 전제 조건이어야 할 것이다. 안전 (care)과 더불어 직업교육과 인격 향상이라는 두 가지 면은 서로 떨어질 수 없는 불가분의 관계로 직업재활시설에서 제공되어야 하는 중요한 서비스라 할 수 있다.Work in the market place is the principal source of income, and the key to financial independent for people of working age including persons with disabilities. Some explain a paying job as the life of social existence, especially for persons with severe disabilities. However, national statistics show that only 32% of all persons with disabilities had completed vocational training in Korea although most people wanted to receive it. The disability population has been increasing continually. Although it is an old statistics, in 1994 the number of workers across Korea who suffered from industrial accidents was 84,480. Of these, 19,907 became legally disabled. In 1996 alone, a total of 265,052 traffic accidents occurred in Korea, resulting in 355,962 injuries and 12,653 fatalities. It is estimated that an average of 86,700 people becomes disabled due to the traffic accident each year. Along with this trend, the legal definition of disability has also been expanding.
Currently, we have more than 350 vocational rehabilitation facilities in the nation. In addition, we have six vocational evaluation centers under the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs(MHWFA) and ten under the Ministry of Labor(MOL). Over the year vocational rehabilitation facilities in Korea have been significantly growing. In spite of the dramatic expansion of vocational rehabilitation services and programs, important issues such as quality of services, public awareness, consumer participation, and program effectiveness still remain. The MHWFA has been responsible for sheltered employment, while the MOL has been in charge of regular employment of persons with disabilities. This dual employment management system has resulted in inconsistencies of service delivery. Regular employment service delivery system accounts for only a small percentage of persons with disabilities employed, most of whom have only mild disabilities.
This survey research dealt with operational aspects of vocational rehabilitation facilities in Korea, 114 among 351 facilities. The results of this study were can be summarized as the following: First, facilities surveyed had high degree of support needs from the government including financial subsidies. Second, the facility administration should put high priority and weights on its manpower. Staffing is often the most important factor to ensuring the quality of vocational rehabilitation services. Third, vocational rehabilitation facilities should regard persons with severe disability as their significant service population groups. The facilities should be one of the most important institutes to develop disabled persons potential. Therefore, they are required to pursue both personal safety and development because these facilities provide persons with severe disability with many professional vocational rehabilitation services and adequate pay based on the productive potential.