UDL and Accessibility

Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The term Universal Design (UD) refers to the idea of creating products and environments whose features are as usable as possible to the widest variety of people as possible, regardless of their age, ability or status. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) takes that idea into the classroom and online learning environment.

UDL is a set of principles Links to an external site. for curriculum development to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender or cultural and linguistic background.

You will see terms such UD, UDL, and UD for Instruction used interchangeably and in different ways. Designing with UDL principles does not eliminate the need for specific accommodations for students with disabilities. The important thing to remember is if you design for all users you will be more likely to meet the needs of your users with disabilities.

These same principles can be carried over to the web or online environment. Many of these universal principles can be applied using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard. Most colleges have selected to comply with WCAG 2.0 AA standard. 

 Resources

 

Link to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) Overview Links to an external site.

This 4-minute video describes universal design in the classroom