The World Report on Disability has been presented to the public in 2011 jointly by WHO and World Bank. This paper aims to highlight the importance of the World Report for participation and rehabilitation research. In a first step we provide an overview of the World Report. It includes an introduction of the understanding of disability and its epidemiology, an analysis of different care sectors and further important life domains as well as recommendations for the improvement of the living situation of persons with disability. Then, the importance of context factors for participation is earmarked. We summarize pivotal messages of the World Report, including the estimation of 15% of the world population that experiences some kind of disability. We report on the consequences drawn for the participation and rehabilitation research. Our recommendations complete the present paper.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.