A computer-based approach to measurement of employment handicap

The need for a more systematic, objective and appropriate approach to determining the extent of employment handicap, resulting from a disability, is considered. A possible approach, that takes advantage of the computer's ability to process and store large qualities of relevant data is presented. An attempt to pilot this in a large public corporation is then described. The need for a less simplistic definition of employment handicap than that adopted here is identified. The paper concludes that the approach can nonetheless form the basis for significant advances in this area, that should not only make possible more effective legislation but also make it more feasible to introduce a partial disability benefit.