A Workplace for All - The Story of Training and Rehabilitation 1933-1944
What role could work play in rehabilitation? Could training help improve mental heath? Schemes by the LPTB and the Government during the 1930s attempted to find answers
Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre Horsham (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Rehabilitation was a milestone in changing attitudes
It marked a change in focus towards the employment of "people with disabilities": adapting the work environment to fit the needs and abilities of staff, rather than expecting employees to adapt to their environment
Egham Centre to help disabled MEN back to work (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
The concept that training was, "restricted to men whose recovery is likely to be expedited," is problematic today, but the steps employers like the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) took in the 1930s were ahead of their time
Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre Horsham (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
"The institution of a Rehabilitation Centre not only assists men to forget their injuries and enables them again to become useful and productive members of industry, but also benefits them financially.”
Report of Chiswick Rehabilitation Centre (1942-01-29)TfL Corporate Archives
In a 1942 report on the LPTB's flagship rehabilitation centre at Chiswick, it was recorded that employees with disabilities who were out of work received compensation at only a third of their original wages
The idea of providing employees with “light” work was suggested in 1933, but it wasn't until 1938 that this idea came to fruition and even when it did, employees with disabilities were paid less than their "able-bodied" colleagues even with additional compensation payments
Report of Chiswick Rehabilitation Centre (1942-01-29)TfL Corporate Archives
All about Cost?
As a business, one of the ways the LPTB evaluated the effectiveness of the centre was in terms of cost, but their considerations weren't limited to input versus output
.... the cost...is offset by the advantages derived from the saving in man power and the earlier return of disabled staff to their normal duties....
Report of Chiswick Rehabilitation Centre (1942-01-29)TfL Corporate Archives
New Centres at Charlton and West Ham
The centres were a success, with 57 men passing through by November 1941, 22 of whom returned to their original jobs. Travel to and from Chiswick did present a barrier for some men, and so locations for additional centres were discussed
The LPTB’s actions predated a Government scheme for training and resettlement of disabled persons, which set up national centres in Horsham and Egham. The emphasis of these facilities was well-being, “sub-health”, relaxation, socialising and collaborative training
Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre Horsham (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre Horsham
The centre treated “the various symptoms of sub-health, including industrial fatigue, depression, anxiety states and debility from whatever cause”. The centre was also open to both men and women
Horsham’s residents, or their employers, had to pay for their stays. The cost was 4 pounds 4 shillings a week (equivalent to roughly £150 today) or 2 day’s wages. Stays were expected to last between 4 and 6 weeks
Egham Centre to help disabled MEN back to work (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
A centre at Egham in Surrey was designed specifically for residents with disabilities
Egham Centre to help disabled MEN back to work (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Days were structured around physical “tone ups”, skills training, and recreation. Residents were paid 30 shillings a week (roughly £70), or 1-day’s wages
Egham Centre to help disabled MEN back to work (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Stays at Egham lasted between 6 and 12 weeks. It sought to “dispel the mistaken idea that a disabled man cannot tackle life on equal terms with his fellows”, providing work opportunities that “they can follow as efficiently as the fit man”
Egham Rehabilitation Centre (1945-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
Testimonies from Egham’s trainees, and notes from its resident medical officer, were resoundingly positive
There was a still a long way to go for such centres. Despite inclusive efforts and state of the art training, wages were low and employees with disabilities were still considered “other.”
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
