Teachers with Impairments in the Teaching Profession: Lived Experiences of Inclusion and Marginalisation

Teachers with impairments have been described as marginalised in education settings in Australian and international contexts. This marginalisation is attributed to socio-cultural attitudes that impact on access and achievement in education for teachers who identify as having an impairment. As an equity issue, it is important that teachers with impairments are included in the teaching profession, can gain entry to teacher education degrees, can achieve employment in teaching roles, and can access fulfilling work and career progression. Within an inclusive school culture, it is acknowledged that everyone is in, however as will be explored in this chapter, the academic literature on inclusive education primarily focuses on the inclusion of students, and rarely on teachers as part of an inclusive school culture. This chapter will cast light on this topic, by examining the obstacles and benefits associated with the important roles that teachers with impairments can play in contemporary schooling, such as bringing their unique standpoints or funds of knowledge to their work, and acting as accessible school-based adult role models for children and young people.