Introduction: New dynamics of disability and rehabilitation

Medical and vocational rehabilitation concerns human beings undergoing critical transitions. This chapter provides the background, bringing the study of transitions within rehabilitation into the wider context of the welfare state’s changing role. The notion of universalism is central to discussions of medical and vocational rehabilitation services and how they have evolved along with the course of the welfare state. To introduce this book, this chapter considers the notion of universalism, including the debates it has engendered, and relates it to the provision of medical and vocational rehabilitation services in Northern European welfare states. To set the stage for case studies on rehabilitation for survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is the topic of five contributions in this volume, this chapter further discusses the composition and developments of TBI patient groups. It summarizes the chapters in the book and provides a general conclusion.