UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework pioneered by CAST that offers great promise in helping to improve educational outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities. The “universal” in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) does not imply one optimal solution for everyone, but instead underscores the need for inherently flexible, customizable content, assignments and activities, and assessments characterized by:

Multiple representations of information—as there is no single method for the presentation of information that will provide equal access for all learners;

Multiple methods of expression—as there is no single method of expression that will provide equal opportunity for all students; and

Multiple means of engagement—as there is no single way to ensure that all children are engaged in a learning environment.

The term “universal design” is borrowed from the architectural concept of the same name, which called for curb cuts, automatic doors and other architectural features to be built into the design to avoid costly after-the-fact adaptations for individuals with handicaps. But, in reality, these features benefit many other people, including cyclists and parents with strollers. Universal Design for Learning applies the same concept to learning—creating a curriculum with numerous built-in features to meet the learning needs of a wide range of students, including those with disabilities and special talents.

Students differ from one another in many ways and present unique learning needs in the classroom setting, yet high standards are important for all students. By incorporating supports for particular students, it is possible to improve learning experiences for everyone, without the need for specialized adaptations down the line. For example, captioned video is of great help to deaf students—but captions are also helpful to students who are learning English, students who are struggling readers, students with attention deficits, and even students working in a noisy classroom.

UDL will not eliminate the need for assistive technologies. Children with physical disabilities, for example, need properly designed wheelchairs, adaptive switches to control devices, or speech synthesizers, but in educational environments where UDL is the norm, assistive devices will be used for the same reason we use eyeglasses—to enhance our abilities rather than to compensate for inadequately designed learning materials.

Bringing Universal Design for Learning into classrooms and educational practice may sound like a difficult task. In fact, in a classroom supplied only with conventional materials—such as textbooks— it is. But today’s teachers have access to a variety of tools such as digitized text, multimedia software, video recorders, tape recorders, and the World Wide Web. These tools have the flexibility teachers need to accomplish Universal Design for Learning and to provide for a broad spectrum of students.

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