This formative study attempted to gather evidence for a theory postulating that inclusive education for students with disabilities is best facilitated by teachers with a strong sense of social justice. This theory was investigated by examining the connection between measures of perception of social justice and attitudes toward inclusive education of 96 preservice teachers in an undergraduate teacher preparation programme. Results indicated that there was a small but significant correlation between perception of social justice and attitudes toward inclusive education. Implications for the findings, limitations to the study and directions for future research are addressed.