Forming part of a larger project on how disabled people exercise active citizenship in nine European countries, this study examined factors that enhance or hamper disabled peoples' opportunities to participate fully and on equal terms with others in the domain of work. Twenty-six, gender-balanced life course interviews with persons living in Switzerland and representing four impairment groups and three age cohorts were conducted. Applying qualitative content analysis, we found that over the entire work life course environmental factors such as support structures and attitudes were most salient (as compared to personal factors and impairment effects), and that facilitating and impeding factors cut across impairment groups and age cohorts. To achieve parity of participation and to enhance people with disabilities' active citizenship and opportunities to access, and flourish in, the labour market, society has to both recognize their rights and provide sufficient economic resources to remove existing barriers. [Résumé d'auteur]