PRME Working Group on Disability, Neurodiversity and Mental Health Inclusion

History

The Working Group on Disability, Neurodiversity and Mental Health Inclusion was formed in response to growing recognition within PRME that disability remains underrepresented across teaching, research, and organisational practice. A group of PRME faculty and practitioners with shared expertise and lived experience initiated discussions during PRME community events, identifying the need for a dedicated global platform to coordinate efforts. Following consultation with interested institutions across regions, a proposal was co‑developed and approved to bring together educators, researchers, students, and partners committed to strengthening inclusion.

Purpose

The purpose of the Working Group is to strengthen the integration of disability inclusion, neurodiversity, and mental health across responsible management education and within business schools as learning and working environments. Although persons with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals represent a significant portion of the global population, these areas remain underrepresented within management education, academic research, curricula, and institutional practices.

The Working Group addresses key challenges such as limited visibility of disability and neurodiversity in teaching materials, uneven research engagement, fragmented organisational approaches, and ongoing barriers that affect access, participation, and wellbeing for staff, students, and partners. It also seeks to build understanding of inclusive practices, accessibility, and the reduction of structural and attitudinal barriers across diverse legal and cultural contexts.

Through collaborative research, shared pedagogical resources, and strengthened organisational practices, the Working Group will support PRME institutions in preparing graduates for inclusive, accessible, and socially responsible leadership.

Goals

The Working Group will pursue the following objectives:

• Educational Outreach: Advance understanding of disability, neurodiversity and mental health inclusion within PRME Signatories through events, webinars and policy-oriented outputs.

• Collaborative Research: Initiate collaborative research on disability inclusion, neurodiversity, accessibility, mental health, and inclusive leadership in management and business education.

• Knowledge Exchange: Facilitate knowledge exchange among educators, researchers, practitioners, students, and individuals with lived experience across the PRME network

• Resource Development: Develop shared teaching, learning, and assessment resources that integrate disability, neurodiversity, and mental health perspectives across disciplines

• Institutional Advocacy: Promote inclusive institutional practices within business schools that support equitable participation, accessibility, and wellbeing for staff, students, and external partners.

Research

Members of the working group are welcome to join any of the following activities.

• Research Mapping & Curriculum Scan
  Conduct a rapid scan of existing research, courses, pedagogical approaches, and inclusion initiatives across PRME Signatories. Outputs will include a concise Mapping Brief summarising the current landscape within the PRME network, as well as an openly accessible inventory of relevant teaching and research resources.

• Research Clinics
  Virtual collaborative spaces where researchers and practitioners pitch ideas, refine research questions and methodologies, form teams, and identify joint publication opportunities. The target outcome is the establishment of 3–5 collaborative research streams. This activity will be undertaken in collaboration with the established Spring Institute initiative and the Responsible Research vertical at the Center for Responsible Management.

• Collaborative Research Projects
  Joint studies on disability inclusion, neurodiversity, accessibility, mental health, and inclusive leadership in management and business education.

• Dissemination
  Publication of findings in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and practitioner-oriented outlets.

The Working Group offers a variety of ongoing engagement opportunities designed to involve members across the PRME network, build community, and support shared learning.

Webinars:

A regular webinar series provides two main entry points: a student‑focused session introducing key concepts such as accessibility, universal design, and lived experience expertise, and an educator‑focused dialogue exploring inclusive curriculum design, accessible learning environments, and emerging research.

Pedagogy Labs:

Members can join Pedagogy Labs, hands‑on sessions where educators exchange teaching materials, assessment tools, and inclusive pedagogy strategies. These labs support the creation of a PRME Teaching Toolkit and identify priorities for new resources.

The Working Group also hosts Research Clinics, collaborative sessions where members pitch ideas, form writing teams, and develop joint research projects on disability inclusion, neurodiversity, mental health, and accessibility in management education.

Practitioner and NGO Dialogues connect PRME members with inclusive employers, community organisations, and individuals with lived experience, generating insights that feed into ongoing resources.

Annual Convening:

Each year, the Working Group leads a PRME‑wide flagship event for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, featuring panels, keynotes, practice showcases, and updates on Working Group outputs.

Resource Development

. Planned resources include:

• Guidebook on Understanding Disability

• PRME Teaching Toolkit on Disability, Neurodiversity & Mental Health Inclusion (outline and modules)

• Teaching & Learning Resources Repository

• Case studies and experiential learning activities

• Practitioner Insight Briefs: Inclusive Workplaces in Practice

• Research-to-practice briefs

• Annual activity report

• Symposium/conference outputs

Stay tuned for resources to be uploaded in the resources tab!

Co-chairs:

Professor Anica Zeyen, Royal Holloway Business School, Royal Holloway University of London, UK

anica.zeyen@rhul.ac.uk

Professor Kokil Jain, Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), India

kokil.jain@fiib.edu.in

Steering Committee:

Professor Oana Branzei – Ivey Business School, Western University, Canada

obranzei@ivey.ca

Dr. Snigdha Malhotra – Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), India

snigdha.malhotra@fiib.edu.in

Dr. Arshia Kaul – School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Australia

arshia.kaul@gmail.com

Governance Structure

The Working Group operates through four dedicated teams: Research, Teaching & Curriculum, Practice & Impact, and Events & Communications. These teams provide the backbone for our collaborative research, resource development, and global advocacy efforts.

a) Research Cluster

• Leads Research Clinic

• Coordinates collaborative research projects

• Oversees publication strategies

b) Teaching & Curriculum Cluster

• Leads Pedagogy Lab

• Develops PRME Teaching Toolkit

• Curates teaching resources

c) Practice, Impact & Engagement Cluster

• Organises practitioner dialogues

• Coordinates lived-experience involvement

• Develops Practitioner Insight Brief

d) Events & Communications Cluster

• Organises webinars

• Coordinates International Day of Persons with Disabilities event

• Supports dissemination across PRME channels

Please fill out this form to join the Working Group.