What the people with intellectual disability think about their participation in the work from two case studies

Abstract

Work has undergone significant transformations during the course of humanity, having its own sense disturbed and modified. Thus, it becomes questionable to what extent it acts on the humanization of man, or on the contrary, whether, in the present social context, it can contribute to its dehumanization. In this context, the worker with intellectual disabilities is exposed, in addition to the aspects of exploitation and alienation, to constructs about disability, as preconceptions about their abilities, being considered incapable of occupying jobs that require more elaborate and complex duties. The objective of this study was to analyze the perception of the subject with intellectual disability about his/her participation in the labor market. Thus, two people with intellectual disabilities were selected to talk about their experiences and perceptions. For the interviews, the Life Story method was used, and the data were analyzed through Emerging Themes such as: Work as a principle of humanization and Work as a dehumanization principle. The themes emerged were interpreted according to the ideology of historical-cultural theory, which considers the human being, independently of his/her biological condition, as a subject formed by and in relations with the other. The results evidenced the importance of the work in the human development of the participants that were realized professionally and reached achievements that are beyond the financial aspect, covering those specifically human. The participants in this study contradicted what was generally predicted by society to those with intellectual disabilities and demonstrated that it is possible to humanize themselves through work.