Developing neurodiversity awareness in management schools: building supportive and inclusive higher education institutions for students and academics

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term, including dyspraxia, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyscalculia, autistic spectrum, and Tourette syndrome. The increasing number of students and academics with learning difficulties associated with neurodiversity entering or working in Higher Education (HE) poses a shared and growing challenge internationally for educators, HR managers, and institutional leaders. Despite increased research on inequalities in HE, few studies report on neurodiverse students and academics’ experiences in HE. This multiple case study explored 14 neurodiverse academics and 34 neurodiverse students’ experiences in HE in Europe to unravel the challenges for these people using lengthy semi-structured interviews, an online survey, and opportunity and snowball sampling. Perfectly aligned with the ableism theory, the current study has unravelled that neurodiverse students and academics face incredible challenges in HE despite the support provided so far. Drawing on the critical disability theory, the current study challenges able-bodied supremacy and the oppression that arises from restricting economic and social benefits to persons with disabilities. The study offers recommendations for HR managers, educators, and senior leadership teams in HEIs to provide additional support for these people fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in HE. It emphasizes the need to strive for holistic and inclusive change in HE policy and practice.