Encouraging disabled leaders in higher education: recognising hidden talents

The Leadership Foundation commissioned this stimulus paper to explore the experiences of disabled leaders in the sector with a view to developing better practice, both in institutions and in relation to leadership development more broadly. Around 90 disabled people, mainly from UK universities, contributed via questionnaires, focus groups, discussions and interviews, which provided rich qualitative data for analysis. Participants, from across the range of academic and professional services roles, included 46 people who identified themselves as current or aspiring leaders and approximately 45 delegates (including senior leaders) attending neurodiversity- and disability-focused conferences.