Rachelle Hole

Rachelle Hole is a Professor at the School of Social Work, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia Okanagan. She serves as the Director of the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIIC) and leads the Social Inclusion and Equity Research Cluster at the Institute for Community Engaged Research. As an Associated Health Researcher with CREST.BD, she bridges mental health and disability studies through community-based participatory research.

• UBC Tier 1 Principal's Research Chair in Critical Disability Studies
• Director, Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship
• Social Inclusion and Equity Research Cluster Leader
• Associated Health Researcher, Collaborative RESearch Team (CREST.BD)

Her research integrates critical disability studies with community-based participatory methodologies to advance social inclusion for marginalized populations, particularly focusing on individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, Indigenous communities, and bipolar disorder patients. She explores employment equity, self-advocacy, and digital health tools like the PolarUs app for mental health. Her work emphasizes ethical participatory theatre and policy-informing research.

Recent publications and grants (2018–2025) include multi-million-dollar partnerships with Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, MITACS, and Vancouver Foundation. Key projects: Tide Project (youth employment), Impact 2.0 (summer employment), and Evidence to Inform Policy (community living sector). Her 15 most recent Google Scholar articles span employment barriers, digital health, research-based theatre, and policy analysis.

Scientific awards include UBC Okanagan Health Researcher of the Year (2019). She has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated with institutions like Community Living British Columbia, Aspire, and CREST.BD.