Does physical disability affect the construction of professional identity? Narratives of student teachers with physical disabilities

• This article examines the construction of personal-professional identities among student teachers with physical disabilities.
• Based on their life stories, identity formation includes exclusion; a turning point; and professional self-efficacy.
• Student teachers with disabilities can contribute to the school system and teacher training.

This article uses case studies of student teachers with physical disabilities to examine their attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities, and the construction of their professional identity. Narrative analysis of their life stories shows a process of identity formation that begins with a sense of failure and exclusion early in life, continues through a turning point, and concludes with a sense of professional self-efficacy and ability to empower their students, whether with or without disabilities. The article also highlights the unique contribution of student teachers with physical disabilities to their colleagues, teacher-training institutions, and the professional community of educators.