This work was supported by a grant from Shalem Fund

Employment integration is one of the most significant challenges for people with disabilities and in particular for people with intellectual disabilities. The productivity index is a major barrier to the employment of people with disabilities when economic policy is based on capitalist views, finding the reasons that capitalist market development has led to this situation.. The underlying theme of the thesis is that changing the framework of the discussion from dealing with disabilities to economic analysis of the features of the capitalist market is the key to promoting a solution that may lead to a change. Understanding the concept of productivity and its impact over the world of employment requires the recognitions of the different economic approaches on which this market is founded. The conclusion that emerges in this study is that a fundamental correction is required to a pattern that includes new dimensions that determine the status of the worker, including an update of the productivity index in accordance with the type of jobs currently in the capitalist market. When society is aware of the great importance of integrating people with disabilities into the capitalist market, including the economic contribution that this population makes, its policy towards it will change for the better. Today, Israeli case law emphasizes costs versus consideration as a key component, and points to the difficulty of protecting the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in a capitalist market when their productivity is reduced, but this approach stems from an outdated reference to the term “productivity”.

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Key words:

Employment, people with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, sheltered workshops, capitalistic market, Competitive Integrated Employment, productivity