Innovation through networking: the single contact points for employers in the German vocational rehabilitation and participation system.

The study covers only the Rhineland region in 2023, and networks are dynamic, so the picture may not hold for other regions or later times. Only 20 EAA consultants were surveyed, and 18 of them selected key partners in an online survey, so the sample is small. Network partners were selected because they were named often by EAA consultants, and employers' and business associations did not take part, so some views may be missing. The institutions in the core network differ greatly in size and staffing, so central positions may partly reflect resources rather than collaboration quality. Data protection prevented matching individual EAA consultants to their network partners, so the analysis could not link specific relationships. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were not exhaustive, and random interviewees may have been particularly well networked, so themes may not represent all actors. The study describes networks and perceptions, and it did not test whether EAA improve employment participation.

The project was supported by the Inclusion Office of the Rhineland Regional Association. The authors declared financial support for the research or publication.

Do not read the positive network ratings as evidence that the service improves employment for people with disabilities. The study mapped relationships and perceptions, and it did not test employment outcomes.