In France, starting in October 2025, a business school with strong regional roots will launch a customized training program for young people with cognitive disabilities. This two-year curriculum is designed to prepare participants for versatile roles in commerce and distribution, such as self-service clerks, sales assistants, drive-through staff, cashiers, host/hostess positions, and order preparers. While the vocational framework itself is not unique to the school, the program will be specifically adapted for youth aged 16 and over with Down syndrome (DS) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This distinctive class of 15 to 20 learners will experience both classroom instruction and vocational training within a mixed setting, sharing the campus, facilities, and many activities with the school’s 650+ mainstream students. The result will be a uniquely inclusive educational environment, providing opportunities for peer interaction and learning on a single, human-scale campus.
Placing inclusion at the forefront, this initiative advances it in two significant ways. Firstly, it cultivates genuine connections between business school students and young people with cognitive disabilities by enabling them to learn and socialize together on the same campus and shared facilities. Secondly, it equips future employees with special support needs by providing tailored vocational training. To ensure these learners are well-supported, the school has developed a structured tutoring and mentoring system that actively engages both faculty and students. As the first initiative of its kind in France—and possibly beyond—it seeks to dismantle long-standing barriers by facilitating interactions and dialogue between groups that are rarely brought together, ultimately fostering greater mutual understanding and community integration.
The business school seeks to set a new standard by creating an inclusive environment that moves beyond simple awareness, proactively responding to the needs and expectations surrounding inclusion in today’s society. This dedication to inclusivity not only encompasses specialized training and workforce integration for learners with cognitive disabilities but also focuses on equipping future managers with the understanding and skills needed to collaborate with colleagues with disabilities. More broadly, the initiative aspires to make inclusion the norm across educational, professional, and corporate contexts.
This research utilized an instrumental case study approach to examine a broader issue and refine general insights. To achieve this, the study drew on the perspectives of five carefully selected subject-matter experts, each interviewed in semi-structured, recorded, and transcribed sessions. Primary sources of data, including documents and archival records, were also analyzed, providing essential temporal and contextual context for the case. The resulting analysis offers an in-depth account of the initiative, mapping its evolution from initial conception through early implementation and anticipated outcomes. The research seeks to address the underlying motivations and strategic choices that have guided a medium-sized consular business school in designing an inclusive program that brings together learners with Down syndrome and mainstream students. By integrating expert testimony, academic literature, theoretical models, and factual evidence, this case study delivers a thorough overview of the project from inception to projected impact.

Keywords: Down Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Inclusive Education, Business School, Universal Design for Learning.