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 possible, regardless of their age, ability, or status. A group of professionals (e.g. architects, product designers, engineers) originally developed seven principles that are associated with UD.

These principles are extended into the classroom and in the online learning environment and are often referred to as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender, or cultural and linguistic background.

In the literature, you will see the universal design principles applied in different environments and products. You will see terms such as UD, UDL, and UD for Instruction used interchangeably and in different ways. Designing with UD 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 likely meet the needs of those 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 3.0 AA standards.

🎬 This 4-minute video describes universal design in the classroom:

Inclusive Design Presentation

🎬 The below recording is from the Breaking Down Barriers online accessibility conference in May 2021. The keynote speaker was Vance Martin, Executive Advisor for the Accessibility University of Illinois System.

Inclusive Design - Lightning Round Presentations

🎬 The below recording is from the Breaking Down Barriers online accessibility conference in May 2021. This Lightning Round session features three presenters:

Stephanie Kratz from Heartland Community College presented "Inclusive Course Design Using the UDOIT tool in Canvas"
Valeria Benson-Lira from Oakton Community College presented "Helping Students save their Emotional and Monetary Budget during COVID-19"
Zach Petrea from Heartland Community College presented "Fostering Metacognition through Inclusive Design"

Resources

W3.org. (2022, 02 15). WCAG. Retrieved from Standards-Guidelines: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

Last updated: June 7, 2022