This paper deals with the role of labor in the human life, especially in the lives of mentally handicapped individuals. In this sense, the paper aims to show the meaning of labor, stating that it goes a lot beyond than what is carried out in the working market. The widely accepted idea that these people are not capable of working is criticized. The paper takes into consideration that a human being needs to struggle to build his own health in order to face the restrictions of the environment, once working demands a constant negotiation presented by the labor and living environments. It is shown that a person with a severe mental disorder develops the ability to overcome the restriction imposed his previous image associated with a social and personal weakness.
Work; health; mental disorder