Dr. Alan Bruce of Universal Learning Systems discusses disability, inclusion, and universal design in education. He notes the historic patterns of low expectations for those with disabilities and their institutionalization and medicalization. However, developments like the independent living movement, assistive technologies, and legislation promoting inclusion and accessibility have impacted approaches. Universal design principles aim to create flexible learning environments and curricula that meet the needs of all learners.

1. Dr.Alan Bruce
Universal Learning Systems - Dublin

2.  Rationale
 Dimensions of difference - disability
 Impact
 Globalization and change in learning
 Context
 International and European
 Opportunities
 Approaching best practice

3.  Disability is and always has been an issue of
access and rights
 Common humanity/common reactions
 Impact of value systems and religious belief
 Role of war and migration
 Continuing impact of institutionalization,
charity and control
 Impact of learning solutions and ICT

4.  Disability: fear, loathing, guilt and shame
 Historic impact of segregation and exclusion
 Sense of impossibility – no alternatives
offered to this population
 Systemic exclusion in all European countries
 From Foucault to Laing – analysis of the
systems, structures and methods that
oppress
 Medical and social models

5. In modern society a sense of normality is achieved through the
suppression and exclusion of the abnormal
Foucault, Madness andCivilization, 1964

6.  Foundational and critical document
 Published byWHO
 State of the art analysis and review
 Overall aims of Report:
 To provide governments and civil society with a
comprehensive description of the importance of
disability and an analysis of the responses provided,
based on the best available scientific information.
 Based on this analysis, to make recommendations for
action at national and international levels.

7.  Impact of vocational rehabilitation since 1947
 War and effects of war
 Independent Living movement (1967)
 Progressive legislation – ADA 1990.
 Europe – from mainstreaming to inclusion
 Assistive technologiesAAATE and RESNA
 Research and comparative analysis
 Universal Design principles
 Innovation and adaptation in education

8.  Historic pattern – vicious circle of low
expectations
 Institutionalization and ‘special’ needs
 Embedded pervasive imagery of dependence
 Family, support and care
 Medicalization of discourse
 Legacies of charity
 The vocational imperative – where to now?
 Teaching – and learning – around difference

9.  Families
 Communities
 Culture and beliefs
 Schooling, learning and research
 Media and portrayal
 Work, employment and a full life
 Lifelong care – the cost of independent living
 Permanent dependence or rights?

10. • Lack of consensus – goals, strategies, aims
• Turf issues – professional confusion
• Attitudes – the negative mindset
• Casualization – from shiftwork to adaptability
• Built environment
• Unthinking exclusion
• Fragmented planning
• Disempowered families and social
stratification
• Beyond disability – inclusion for all

11.  Patterns of constant change
 Uncertainty and conflict
 Deconstructing the welfare state
 Responses of educational systems
 Critical issues: access, quality, application,
recognition, utility, ICT
 Beyond schools to ubiquitous learning

12.  New work patterns – what happened to the Job?
 Technological revolutions
 New markets – public, private, financial, corporate
 Access and social inclusion – wishful or critical?
 Understanding permanent crisis
 Transnational linkage: from optional to essential

13.  Demographic changes: ageing and life expectancy
 Women and labor market participation
 Cultural and religious difference
 Immigration
 Conflict and stress
 Urbanization

14.  Patterns of constant change
 Permanent migration mobility
 Outsourcing
 Flexible structures and modalities
 End of job norms
 Knowledge economy
 Structural inequalities

15.  Exponential increase in information
 Critical reflection vs. need to know: where
does e-learning sit?
 Peer-to-peer learning economy: social media
 Free speech and autonomous expression
 Developing critical thinking skills
 Autonomous problem solving
 Diversity embedded

16.  Historic impact low expectations
 Institutionalization and ‘special’ needs
 Medicalization of service models
 Legacy of charity
 The transformation of work
 Learning and difference
 Diminishing public space
 Linking disability to other social justice
models

17. The emergence of a true global economy
dictates a new role in international activities to
promote the well being of persons with
disabilities through access to jobs, better
technology and social supports...
Source: NIDRR Long Range Plan 1999-2004

18.  Ubiquity and access
 Innovation – the new imperative
 Professionals, Customers, Communities
 Quality, standards and assessment
 Curriculum or competence: institutional crisis
of international educational systems
 Freedom, openness and creativity in the
digital economy

19.  Lisbon Declaration
 Inclusive education as principle
 Significant national variations
 Separation between health, social services
and education functions and responsibilities
 Poor multidisciplinary developement
 Family exclusion
 Focus on educational, health and social needs

20.  Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles
for curriculum development that gives all individuals
equal opportunities to learn.
 UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional
goals, methods, materials and assessments that
work for everyone - not a single, one-size-fits-all
solution but rather flexible approaches that can be
customized and adjusted for individual needs.

21.  Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that
addresses the primary barrier to fostering expert
learners within instructional environments: inflexible,
“one-size-fits-all” curricula.
 Inflexible curricula raise unintentional barriers to
learning.
 In learning environments individual variability is the
norm, not the exception
 UDL addresses learner variability by suggesting flexible
goals, methods, materials and assessments that
empower educators to meet these varied needs.

22.  The purpose of UDL curricula is not simply to help
students master a specific body of knowledge or set
of skills, but to help them master learning itself— to
become expert learners.
 Expert learners have 3 broad characteristics:
1. strategic, skillful and goal directed
2. knowledgeable
3. purposeful and motivated to learn more

23.  CAST (Center for Applied SpecialTechnology)
established 1984
 First Federal grant from NSF 1994
 UDL defined. CAST invents “Bobby” 1995
 CAST Advisory Council established 2005
 National UDLTaskforce established 2006
 First Statutory definition of UDL 2008
 National Center for Universal Design established
2009
 University of North Carolina academic expertise

24.  Impact of universal schooling
 The university revolution – from distance
learning to MOOCs
 Impact of legislation and policy
 Technological revolution only starting
 From psychology to engineering – the altered
environment
 Shaping the mind – struggles with attitudes

25.  Focus of motivation
 Problem solving focus
 From curriculum to competence
 Content to meaningful action
 From formal teaching to creation of bonds and links
 Mentoring
 Models of best practice

26. ‘I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.’

27.  Modeling
 Empathic analysis in transition support
 Social analytics for multidisciplinary work
 Roles and responsibility
 Advanced digital competence/assistive
technologies
 Comparative research methods
 Independent living/rights based models
 Universal Design

28.  Defining needs
 Defining required supports
 Developing teams: communication
 Avoiding traps – the standardized label
 Critical and reflective thinking and practice
 Empathy
 Sensitivity and clarity – goal setting
 Evaluative review

29.  To improve classroom practice and raise awareness
of European educational communities on inclusive
teaching and learning practices
 To improve teachers’ work practice, combining ICT
skills with innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, and
institutional organization
 To redesign, adapt and personalize curricula and
instructional methods
 To create a learning environment that helps each
student develop his or her full potential

30.  Rights and advocacy
 Quality circles (Netherlands)
 Collaborative research
 Culture of innovation
 Highly qualified staff
 Equality frameworks and enforceable standards

31.  Flexibility
 Diverse learners/digital immigrants
 Learning outcomes
 Pedagogical design - integrated learning
 Social capital and inclusion
 Visions of excellence

32. Dr. Alan Bruce
Universal Learning Systems
Dublin, Ireland
abruce@ulsystems.com
Tel: +353-87-249-8791