Conference Program

Despite the growing heterogeneity of the teacher population, the experiences of teachers with disabilities remain marginalized in public debate and Italian research, often confined to exceptional or individualized narratives. The presence of teachers with disabilities tends to be portrayed as an extraordinary case or inspirational testimony, rather than as a structural and legitimate part of the profession.

This project explores how teachers with disabilities make their experiences visible through interviews, public testimonies, editorial productions, and digital activism practices. These spaces of expression do not merely constitute moments of individual storytelling but function as practices of self-representation and identity advocacy, capable of challenging normative models and stereotypes related to the teaching profession.

Their narratives highlight forms of discrimination and ableism that permeate the teaching profession, difficulties in access and job stabilization, cultural resistance from colleagues and families, and reduced or paternalistic expectations. By paying attention to intersectional dynamics, it becomes evident that disability intertwines with other identity dimensions, such as gender or migratory background, producing counter-narratives to the normative model of the “typical”, able and white teacher.

This study argues that these practices of visibility and self-representation constitute a central element for education aimed at democratic citizenship, capable of countering ableism. Making the plurality of teacher identities recognizable means interrogating the implicit hierarchies that regulate access to the profession, promoting inclusive and equitable educational environments that value difference as a pedagogical and social resource.