The empowering value of introducing CST in vocational rehabilitation

Objectives: The topic of this article is the value of introducing compensatory technology in vocational rehabilitation. The study describes the social work-related effort of introducing compensatory technology to job seekers with cognitive disabilities, focusing on the value of the actual introduction and the value that the participants believe this has for their future mastery of working life.Methods: The data are taken from a two-year ethnographic fieldwork study at two vocational rehabilitation companies. Both companies placed special focus on introducing technology in the vocational rehabilitation process and invested in developing compensatory technology for job seekers with cognitive disabilities.Results: The study shows that the introduction of compensatory technology has been valuable both in the individual empowerment process and for the participants upon completion of the vocational rehabilitation programme. The value of introducing technology has been both motivating and empowering. The article describes the motivational value associated with CST in a vocational rehabilitation perspective.Implications for rehabilitationBeing able to solve challenges with technology is empowering for the participants in vocational rehabilitation programmes, regardless of the frequency of use.To be able to introduce concrete apps is a tool in the social workers counselling efforts to develop the participants' ability to master life situations.The process of introducing compensatory technology has had an inherent value in the individual participant's empowerment process through the vocational rehabilitation programme.