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So what exactly is UDL, and how can it impact our work with students?

To begin answering this question, take a moment to watch an overview of Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education, and its potential to improve learning for all students.


(2:09)

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Architectural Roots of Universal Design for Learning

From the 1960s onward, activists and disability-rights advocates successfully pushed architects and designers to create in ways that considered the needs of all users. As designers worked to meet the requirements for accessibility required by law, however, they noticed that their designs benefited a range of users, often in unanticipated ways. This movement toward universal design inspired other fields beyond architecture, including education. To learn more about the history behind Universal Design for Learning, view the presentation below.


(5:26)




A Transformative Mindset

Head with lightbulb

The universal design mindset in architecture emerged from a transformative idea: designing in ways that removes barriers for a few can result in benefits for all. Things like curb cuts and hooked door handles are absolutely critical for those who would otherwise be denied access. But they also make life better others in both big and small ways.

Bringing this same mindset to the design of our courses can provide similar benefits for our learners, and forms the heart of the UDL framework. In the next part of this training, we'll examine that framework in detail, and think about ways that we can use it to remove potential barriers for students.