Universal Design for Learning

Source: Edyburn, D.L. (2005). Universal design for learning. Special Education

By Dave L. Edyburn

The origin of the term Universal Design for IEP teams to design measurable annual goals,
Technology Practice, 7(5), 16-22. Reprinted with permission.

Learning (UDL) is generally attributed to David including short-term objectives or new bench-
Rose, Anne Meyer, and colleagues at the Center for marks, to enable the child to be involved-and
Applied Special Technology (CAST). The prin- progress-in the general curriculum.
ciples of UDL were developed following the 1997
reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities A statement of the special education and related
Education Act (IDEA). At that time there was con- services and supplementary aids and services to
siderable national interest in the issue of inclusion be provided to the child.
which placed the majority of students with dis-
abilities in general education classrooms. While A description of any program modications or
students with disabilities had gained physical supports for school personnel necessary for the
access to the general education classroom, concerns child to advance appropriately toward the annu-
were being raised about how students would gain al goals, to progress in the general curriculum,
access to the general curriculum. and to be educated and participate with other
children both with and without disabilities.
McLaughlin (1999) reported that IDEA reau-
thorization contained several specic mandates IEP team members to document an explanation
relative to making the general curriculum acces- of the extent, if any, to which the child will not
sible for students with disabilities: participate with children without disabilities in
the general class and activities.
Statements of a childs present level of educa-
tional performance to specify how his or her Readers interested in a legal analysis of the
disability affects involvement and progress in issues associated with access to the curriculum are
the general curriculum. encouraged to review Karger and Hitchcock (2004).
The issues associated with access to the curriculum
were at the forefront of CASTs work and in 1999
they were awarded a federal grant to establish the
National Center on Accessing the General Cur-
riculum that became instrumental in garnering
national attention for the potential of UDL.

What is UDL?
Rose and Meyer (2002) reveal the basis of
UDL is grounded in emerging insights about brain
development, learning, and digital media. They
observed the disconnect between an increasingly
diverse student population and a one-size-ts-
all curriculum would not produce the academic
achievement gains that were being sought. Draw-
ing on the historical application of universal design
in architectural (e.g., curb cuts), CAST advanced
the concept of universal design for learning as a
means of focusing research, development, and edu-
cational practice on understanding diversity and
applying technology to facilitate learning.

Special Education Technology Practice 16 November/December 2005

 Core Readings in Universal Design for Learning

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every stu- Rose, D.H., Meyer, A., & Hitchcock, C. (Eds.).
dent in the digital age. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. (2005). The universally designed classroom:
Available online at: http://www.cast.org/ Accessible curriculum and digital technologies.
teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/ Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

CASTs philosophy of UDL is embodied in a Following the backward chain of legal refer-
series of principles that serve as the core compo- ence, here is the denition of universal design as
nents of UDL: it was included in the Assistive Technology Act of
1998:
Multiple means of representation to give learn-
ers various ways of acquiring information and Universal design
knowledge The term universal design means a concept
or philosophy for designing and delivering
Multiple means of expression to provide learners products and services that are usable by people
alternatives for demonstrating what they know, with the widest possible range of functional ca-
and pabilities, which include products and services
that are directly usable (without requiring as-
Multiple means of engagement to tap into learn- sistive technologies) and products and services
ers interests, challenge them appropriately, and that are made usable with assistive technolo-
motivate them to learn. gies. (U.S.C. 3002)

In the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, the term

universal design was ofcially dened within Recognizing the Value of UDL
the federal law (20 U.S.C. 1401) governing special
education: UDL has captured the imagination of policy
makers, researchers, administrators, and teachers.
The term universal design has the meaning While initially focused as a strategy for providing
given the term in section 3 of the Assistive access to the curriculum for students with disabili-
Technology Act of 1998 (U.S.C. 3002). ties, it has simultaneous benets to many other
students. UDL provides a vision for breaking the

Special Education Technology Practice 17 November/December 2005

one-size-ts-all mold and therefore expands the Figure 1. The relationship between
opportunities for learning for all students with assistive technology and universal design
learning differences. Recognizing and responding for learning.
to diversity is a core motivation for engaging in
UDL practices. Finally, the expectations associated
with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) makes UDL
an important and timely strategy for enhancing
student academic achievement. The mantra that
evolved from our understanding of the value of
curb cuts: Good design for people with disabilities
benets everyone, provides a powerful rationale
for exploring the large-scale application of UDL in
education.

Clarifying Connections
Despite the many attributes of UDL, one
down-side has been noted. That is, what is the
relationship between UDL and assistive technology Universal access doesnt just happen. Sch-wan-
(AT)? Some educators mistakenly assume UDL will ke, Smith, and Edyburn (2001) have argued that
replace AT since all needs will be anticipated and access for individuals with disabilities to facilities,
addressed. Rose, Hasselbring, Stahl, and Zabala programs, and information is a developmental
(2005) address these concerns by noting that as- process. The A3 model illustrates an ebb and ow
sistive technology and UDL can be thought of as of efforts that are needed to obtain universal acces-
two interventions on a continuum that involves sibility (see Figure 2).
reducing barriers (see Figure 1). At one end of the
continuum, UDL seeks to reduce barriers for every- In the rst phase, Advocacy efforts raise aware-
one. At the other end of the continuum, AT is used ness of inequity and highlight the need for system
to reduce barriers for individuals with disabilities. change to respond to the needs of individuals
However, in the middle, the interactions of the with disabilities. Accommodations are the typical
two interventions merge in a way that prevents response to advocacy. Therefore, inaccessible en-
clear demarcation of where one ends and the other vironments and materials are modied and made
begins. available in phase two. Typically, accommodations
are provided upon request. While this represents a

Figure 2
The A3 Model illustrates
the developmental
phases of accessibility.

Special Education Technology Practice 18 November/December 2005

signicant improvement over situations found in Figure 3
the earlier phase, accommodations tend to main- A screen print from Thinking Reader that
tain inequity since there may be a delay (i.e., time provides extensive supports for readers of all
to convert a handout from print to Braille), it may skill levels as they interact with award-winning
require special effort to obtain (i.e., call ahead to core literature.
schedule), or it may require going to a special loca-
tion (i.e., the only computer with screen reading
software is in the library). In phase three, Acces-
sibility describes an environment where access is
equitably provided to everyone at the same time.

The proportions illustrated in the graphic

reveal the efforts associated with each of the three
phases at any point in time relative to the impact
of the general strategy being applied (advocacy
that argues for need, accommodation to remediate
inaccessibility, and accessibility where universal
access is provided for all). Thus, the model offers
a descriptive audit tool for organizations to self-
assess their developmental phase relative to how
they are spending their time and energy. While the
the play button and the software reads the book
model illustrates the optimal value of universal
while the text is highlighted on the screen. Key
design and accessibility, it also suggests the devel-
vocabulary words are underlined indicating a hy-
opmental reality associated with the need to make
perlink; students can click on the word to access a
accommodations and modications when UDL
spoken and printed denition of the word. Spanish
environments are not readily available.
translations are also provided.

UDL in Practice At strategic points, a message appears indicat-

ing: This is a good place to stop and think about
After a person has embraced the principles the story. Students click on the message and they
of UDL, there is an urgent feeling to impact daily are linked to directions and questions that engage
educational practice. This raises an interesting them in responding to what was just read. Seven
question: Is UDL a philosophy or an intervention? research-based effective reading strategies are built
Actually, it is both. In this section we examine two into the software: summarize, question, clarify,
strategies for operationalizing the principles of predict, visualize, feeling, and reect (see Figure
UDL. 4). Students answer different types and levels of
questions such as open-ended, literal, and interpre-
Universal Access by Design tative as well as test-like questions such as multiple
choice and short answer.
CAST has developed a number of products
in which they have sought to operationalize their Five levels of embedded reading comprehen-
concepts of UDL. One such product is Thinking sion support are built into the program. Level 1
Reader (Scholastic) (see Figure 3). Thinking Reader readers have the most supports and Level 5 has the
is a software product that contains electronic books least; levels can be adjusted as each students com-
with supports for readers of all skill levels. Speci- prehension skills improve. The program features
cally designed for Grades 5-8, the Thinking Reader extensive student performance monitoring and
series presents unabridged, grade-level literature reporting tools that allow teachers to view, print,
(e.g., A Wrinkle in Time; Roll of Thunder, Hear My or export reports (see Figure 5). Thinking Reader
Cry; Tuck Everlasting) that engage students in read- serves as a powerful example of the application
ing and interpreting a variety of literary works as of UDL principles and the notion of considerate
they build understanding and uency. text as a means of supporting all students.

To begin, students log into the program, click Universal Access Through Accommo-

Special Education Technology Practice 19 November/December 2005

Figure 4 Figure 5
A screen print from Thinking Reader illustrating A screen print from the management system within
one of seven explicit strategies that students are Thinking Reader provides teachers with complete data
taught to use in understanding their reading. about the progress and performance of each student.

dations and Modications

Rose and Meyer (2002) have noted that digital
When UDL products and environments are text provides much more exibility than traditional
not readily available, the principles of UDL can print formats. Consider the tiered interest levels
be applied to instructional materials and learning presented at the Windows to the Universe (http://
environments in the context of accommodations www.windows.ucar.edu) web site (see Figure 6).
and modications. For example, in most science The tiers allow students to interact with each topic
classrooms, the primary method of gaining new at a level that is of interest to them (beginner, inter-
information is reading a textbook. However, the
textbook poses signicant barriers
to learning for some students. The
font is a static size which presents
challenges for students with low
vision. Students with reading skills
below grade level will not be able
to uently decode and comprehend
the information in an efcient and
timely manner. Students for whom
English is their second language may
struggle with the vocabulary associ-
ated with key concepts. Consider
how the following example of ex-
ible digital media could be used to
help the known problems of these se-
lect students and how the attributes
of these interventions could facilitate
learning for many other students in
the class.

Tiered Levels

Special Education Technology Practice 20 November/December 2005

 mediate, advanced). The information is parallel but
presented in less/more detail. Another option for students who may struggle
to read the information presented on a web page
Language Translation is to use a text to speech tool like the Reading Bar
(http://www.readplease.com) (see Figure 8). This
Notice the sun icon presented in the upper Reading Bar is a toolbar that is installed within the
right hand corner of each page (see Figure 6) of the Internet Explorer that makes it possible to have the
Windows to the Universe web site. Clicking on the computer read any word on a web page. Or, if a
icon rewrites the page in English or Spanish. Copy- student needs the entire page read to them they can
ing the URL of a web page and going to a language do so easily and privately (with headphones).
translation web site like Babelsh (http://ba-
belsh.altavista.com) allows students to have the Whether UDL principles are embodied in
content translated to a variety of languages (see specic products or used to guide accommodations
Figure 7). and modications, the proceeding examples illus-
trate how exible digital media and technologies
Text to Speech can support student learning in ways that engage
them in ways that are not possible with traditional
Figure 7
instructional materials.
Babelsh is a free online translation tool that allows users
to translate web pages from one language to another. The
following example illustrates the web page shown in Beyond Access
Figure 6 translated to French.
Access to information is not access to learning
(Boone & Higgins, 2005; Rose, Hasselbring, Stahl,
& Zabala, 2005). Access is necessary but not suf-
cient. As a result, it is important to consider how
technology and digital media engages a student in
meaningful learning activities. When UDL pro-
vides the opportunity for a student to access and
engage in learning, as minutes of engaged learn-
ing accumulate (i.e., time on task), deep learning
occurs. Deep learning, sustained over time, is what
leads to signicant gains in academic achievement.

The concept of a volume control slider is a

useful metaphor for describing the supports and
choices that are presented to students in a UDL en-
vironment. Tomlinson (1999), known for her work
in differentiated instruction, uses the term equal-
izers to discuss the concept of a slider. She envi-
sions a number of equalizers that could be devel-
oped to control the level of challenge and support a
student needs throughout the learning process.

For example, consider sliders such as:

Knowledge Representation/Ideas/Applications
Figure 8
The ReadingBar is commercial software that is installed inside of Internet Explorer to provide text to
speech capabilities for reading any web page.

Special Education Technology Practice 21 November/December 2005

 3. Sign up for the National UDL Consortium News-
letter to stay up-to-date on new developments
in UDL: http://www.cast.org/pd/consortium/
signup.html.

4. Gather a group of colleagues and commit to

reading and discussing the article: Using Flex-
Solutions/Decisions/Approaches ible technology to meet the needs of diverse learn-
ers: What teachers can do (source:http://www.
wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/763).

References
Boone, R., & Higgins, K. (2005). Designing digi-
tal materials for students for disabilities. In D.
Planning/Designing/Monitoring Edyburn, K. Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.), Hand-
book of special education technology research
and practice (pp. 481-492). Whitesh Bay, WI:
Knowledge by Design.
Karger, J., & Hitchcock, C. (2004). Access to the
general curriculum for students with disabili-
ties: A brief legal integration. Online document:
http://www.cast.org/ncacAccesstotheGeneral
Curriculum for StudentswithDisabilitiesABrief
Pace of Study LegalInterpretation 4672.cfm
McLaughlin, M.J. (1999). Access to the general edu-
cation curriculum: Paperwork and procedure for
redening special education. Journal of Special
Education Leadership, 12(1), 9-14.
Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student
in the digital age. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Avail-
able online at: http://www.cast.org/teachingev-
erystudent/ideas/tes/
The metaphor of a slider offers a powerful Rose, D.H., Hasselbring, T.S., Stahl, S., & Zabala,
vision for UDL curriculum developers as they J. (2005). Assistive technology and universal
seek to engage students in academic content at an design for learning: Two sides of the same coin.
appropriate level of challenge and as the palette of In D. Edyburn, K. Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.),
supports is expanded. Handbook of special education technology research
and practice (pp. 507-518). Whitesh Bay, WI:
Learn More Knowledge by Design.
Schwanke, T.D., Smith, R.O., & Edyburn, D.L.
The purpose of this article was to provide (2001, June 22-26). A3 model diagram developed
an overview and introduction to the concept of as accessibility and universal design instruc-
universal design for learning. To continue learning tional tool. RESNA 2001 Annual Conference
more about UDL, consider the following activities: Proceedings, 21, RESNA Press, 205-207.
Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom:
1. Read the two core books on universal design for Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria,
learning (see list on page 17). VA: ASCD.

2. Explore tools and activities assembled by CAST

to faciliate the use of UDL in practice: http://
www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/.

Special Education Technology Practice 22 November/December 2005