RESUMO
Background: The rehabilitation of physically disabled people has been explored from the perspectives of patients; health professionals; rehabilitation agencies; etc. However; no study has linked disability types; training programmes and career prospects. In this study; we therefore evaluated the professional integration of trained disabled people. Methods: This retrospective survey included all physically disabled people admitted to two rehabilitation centres in Congo between 1996 and 2005. Data collection used registers from two units; the medical unit and the rehabilitation unit; to obtain information on age; sex; disability type; follow-up training; present living activity and field of training. We defined `professional integration' as being when the current profession matched the training received at the rehabilitation centre. Results: The percentage of participants with integrated training was 96.8(95CI; 92.1-98.7). In the urban setting; 6.7(95CI; 2.6-16.1) of the trainees were not integrated; while all were integrated in the rural setting. Trainees aged between 16 and 25 years and those 51+ years represented 12.5(95CI; 4.9-28) and 50(95CI; 25.3-74.6) of the non-integrated cases respectively. Paralysis from poliomyelitis was the most common [62.9(95CI; 54.3-70.8)] disability; and the non-integrated participants included people with poliomyelitis [1.2(95CI; 0.2-6.7)]; general paralysis [10.5(95CI; 2.9-31.3)] and sight disorders [50(95CI; 9.4-90.5)]. Tailoring was the main field of training [57.4(95CI; 48.7-65.7)]; and high numbers of participants with non-integrated training worked in tailoring; shoe making; welding and computer repair. Conclusions: Despite a high rate of integration in Congo; professional training and subsequent integration would still benefit from a comprehensive approach that considers the type of disability; training and socio-demographic features. Further studies targeting alumni from the training programmes and their ongoing assessment are warranted