Abstract

SANTOS, Joelma Cristina  and  CARVALHO-FREITAS, Maria Nivalda de. Return to Work for People with Acquired Physicial Disabilities due to Occupational Accidents. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2025, vol.45, e280295.  Epub May 02, 2025. ISSN 1414-9893.  https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-3703003280295.

In a society structured only for hegemonic ways of functioning of bodies, having a disability can lead to discrimination and social exclusion, which makes the acquisition of a disability throughout life a negative experience. Considering that work consists of an activity with great social value, this research aimed to investigate the psychosocial and organizational aspects related to the return to work of people with physical disabilities acquired due to occupational accidents. For this, open interviews were conducted with 20 workers who acquired disabilities for this reason, which were evaluated by content analysis considering the theoretical frameworks of the social model of disability and the psychodynamics of work. This study found that psychosocial aspects, such as the meanings attributed to work; the openness to experiences and to the construction of knowledge; and the predominance of a stigmatized concept of disability, constituted factors that affected reintegration into work. Organizational aspects such as the quality of the financial/psychosocial support companies offered and the way they conducted the reinsertion process also greatly influenced the decision to return to the context in which the accident occurred. Considering the several barriers that place people with disabilities in a vulnerable situation, organizations must be willing to carry out actions that enable the necessary rehabilitation and reception after occupational accidents and promote adjustments to actually include people with disabilities.

Keywords : People with disabilities; Accidents at work; Return to work; Social model of disability.

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