The monograph examines reasons for declining placement of people with disabilities reported since 1970 by vocational rehabilitation programs. It begins by briefly noting the changing face of industrial society and suggests the need to reexamine traditional concepts of work as paid employment. The effects of new technologies are traced, along with changes in the distribution of occupations, changes in working conditions and the organization of work, changes in attitudes toward work and the meaning of work. The origins and evolution of British vocational rehabilitation are noted, and trends revealing the accumulation of a large pool of long-term unemployed disabled people are cited. The final section addresses the future of the British vocational rehabilitation system, noting the need for improvement in four areas: assessment and intervention methods appropriate to a post-industrial society, increased services to underserved portions of the disabled population (e.g. disabled women, disabled people in rural areas), increased attention to the social and economic context in which services are provided, and use of more sophisticated planning and decision making aids. (CL)