At the core of UDL is the principle of inclusiveness and equity. UDL provides equal access to learning, not simply equal access to information. UDL operates on the premise that the planning and delivery of courses, and the assessment of learning, can incorporate inclusive attributes that embraces diversity whilst maintaining academic standards. It considers the diversity of abilities, disabilities, racial/ethnic backgrounds, reading abilities, ages, and other characteristics of the student cohort. “UDL provides a blueprint for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences. ‘Universal’ does not imply a single optimal solution for everyone. Instead, it is meant to underscore the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners.” (CAST, www.cast.org). In essence, UDL is simply good teaching.

UDL originated in the field of architecture. Planners began anticipating the broad range of public needs taking into consideration their age, abilities and disabilities and incorporating them in essential design elements. 

Universally designed environments and products have become an increasingly common feature of daily living: 

• cuts in street gutters meet the needs of parents pushing prams, people pulling suitcases, skateboarders, delivery workers, wheelchair users, and individuals with other mobility difficulties
• text messaging on mobile phones provides accessibility for people who are deaf and hearing impaired
• closed caption texts on television screens and electronic doors for entrances to buildings benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.

In UDL, the accessibility component is incorporated at the design phase, meeting the needs of potential users with a wide range of characteristics.

The most common service delivery model for students with a health condition or disability in the post-secondary setting is ‘reasonable accommodations’ or ‘reasonable adjustments.’ This model has inherent limitations as it relies primarily on a reactive or ‘bolt-on’ approach to removing discrimination and minimising academic disadvantage for all students. UDL on the other hand, provides a more proactive and anticipatory approach to meeting the needs of students with disabilities: 

Reasonable Adjustment Approach	Universal Design Approach
Access is the individual’s problem and should be addressed by that person and the Disability Service	Access difficulties arise from inaccessible, poorly designed environments and should be addressed by the designer
Access is achieved through academic adjustments and/or retrofitting existing requirements	The system/environment is designed, to the greatest extent possible, to be usable by all
Access is retroactive	Access is proactive
Access is often provided in a separate location or through special treatment	Access is inclusive
Access must be reconsidered each time a new individual uses the system, i.e. is consumable	Access is part of the environmental design, is sustainable

(Source: Adapted from UALR Project Pace ‘Universal Design’)

UDL has broader applications than minimising disadvantages and meeting the academic needs of students with disabilities. As a result of the Review of Higher Education in Australia (the Bradley Review), released in December 2008, the Australian Government committed to a dramatic increase in the proportion of Australian residents aged 25-34 who possess a university qualification (a 40% targeted to increase by 2025).

This ‘Widening Participation in Higher Education’ agenda has significant implications for how academic staff members effectively meet the learning needs of a highly diverse student population. Increasingly, approaches to teaching and learning for this diverse student cohort need to be: 

• usable
• equitable
• inclusive, and
• sustainable.

These are concepts that are central to the principles of UDL.

Employing the practice of UDL requires a paradigm shift across the University. As more staff adopt UDL in course design and delivery, we envisage that the focus of Disability Support will be less one-to-one ‘service delivery’ and more directed towards strategic planning and collaborative partnerships across the campus.

Incorporation of UDL across the University will allow the emphasis to shift from compliance, adjustments, and non-discrimination to an emphasis on teaching and learning. A move away from legal mandates also takes the focus away from what we are obliged to do; recognising disability as an aspect of diversity that is integral to society and the university community.

Learning environments can never be entirely accessible to all students’ needs, so there will be a need to provide individual adjustments. However, all learning environments can be made more accessible and inclusive.

The main characteristics of UDL are derived from the literature and research on Universal Design principles and effective teaching. They provide a framework for academic staff to review their existing practice and inform a variety of new practices. Universal Design (UD) “is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.”

The UD principles are listed below, with a brief annotation as to how they relate to the learning environment:

1. Equitable Use: Instruction is designed to be useful and accessible by people with diverse abilities. Provide the same means of use for all students; identical wherever possible; equivalent when not.
2. Flexibility in Use: Instruction is designed to accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Provide a choice in the method of use.
3. Simple and Intuitive: Instruction is designed to be delivered and perceived in a straightforward and predictable manner, regardless of the student’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
4. Perceptible Information: Instruction is designed so that necessary information is communicated effectively to the student, regardless of ambient conditions or the student’s sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error: Instruction anticipates variation in individual student learning pace and prerequisite skills.
6. Low Physical Effort: Instruction is designed to minimise nonessential physical effort to allow maximum attention to learning. Note: This principle does not apply when physical effort is integral to essential requirements of a course.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use: Instruction is designed with consideration of appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulations, and use regardless of a student’s body size, posture, mobility, and communication needs.
   (Source: Universal Design: Process, Principles, and Applications | DO-IT (washington.edu)

In the learning context, UDL is achieved through flexible curricular materials and activities that provide alternatives for students with differing abilities.

When courses are designed and presented with these principles in mind, then the learning of all students is enhanced.

There are guidelines for applying UDL and are organised according to the three main over-arching principles: 

• Engagement 
• Representation
• Action and Expression

Provide multiple means of engagement

There is a wide variety of ways in which students can be engaged or motivated to learn. Some students engage best with spontaneity and novelty, while others prefer routine and structure. Having flexible teaching strategies and universally designed course content allows students to choose methods that support their interests and skill levels.

(Source: http://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement)

Provide multiple means of representation 

Students vary in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information. By providing various methods of representation, students will learn the material in their preferred mode. For example, students who are hard of hearing may prefer visual information, whereas students who have difficulties with their vision may prefer verbal information. As there is no one means of representation that will be optimal for all students; providing options for representation is essential.

(Source: http://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation)

Provide multiple means of action and expression 

Students vary in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know. For example, students with motor disabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy) and students with language barriers approach learning tasks very differently. Some may be able to express themselves well in writing but not orally, and vice versa. As there is no one means of expression that will be optimal for all students, providing options for expression is essential.

(Source: http://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression)

Where can I see Universal Design for Learning in practice?

The following YouTube clip from the Humber Centre for Teaching and Learning provides a clear explanation of UDL and practice examples. The running time is approximately 5 minutes. Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. The CAST website provides extensive information on the implementation of UDL.

• University of Arkansas Little Rock, ‘Universal Design‘. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from https://ualr.edu/disability/universal-design/
• North Carolina State University, ‘The Center for Universal Design’. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from https://projects.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/
• Ohio State University Partnership Grant, ‘Fast Facts for Faculty: Universal Design for Learning’. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from https://www.pcc.edu/disability-services/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2017/08/universal-design-ohio.pdf
• University of Guelph, ‘Introduction to Universal Instructional Design’ https://opened.uoguelph.ca/instructor-resources/resources/uid_brief.pdf
• Scott, S., McGuire, J.M., & Embrey, P. (2002). ‘Universal Design for Instruction Fact Sheet.’ University of Connecticut, Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. https://www.westga.edu/student-services/counseling/assets-counseling/docs/universal_design_fact_sheet.pdf
• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) ‘Transforming Education through UDL’. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from http://www.cast.org/