Universal design aims to create accessible buildings, products, and environments for people of all abilities, including those with disabilities. It was pioneered in the 1960s and involves principles like curb cuts. Educators are now applying universal design to instructional materials, practices, and classrooms to ensure all students can learn in an environment that works for them. There are two key organizations focused on universal design for education. Universal design for learning aims to create learning experiences that work for diverse students through principles like providing multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement.

1. Universal Design
Ani Almeroth

2. What is Universal Design?
Universal design refers to the
ideas that are used to
produce buildings, products,
environments, etc., that are
accessible to everyone-
including those with
disabilities
Universal design was
pioneered by author Selwyn
Goldsmith in the 1960's, who
created the curb drop

3. Universal Design and Education
Recently, educators have begun
implementing universal design in their
classrooms in order to ensure that their
instructional materials, practices, and
environments are suitable for ALL of
their students
Educators want to make sure that all of
their students learn and grow in an
environment that they feel most
comfortable in
There are two organizations involved in
universal design for education:
1. The Center for Universal Design at
North Carolina State University
2. Center for Applied Special
Technology

4. Universal Design for Learning
Mainstream curriculum has
underserved many students-
students with disabilities, ELL
students, and gifted students
Universal design for education
(UDL) creates learning
experiences that work for
many types of students
The goal of UDL is to help all
students become “expert
learners” (students are
proficient in many subject
areas and love to learn)

5. Three Principles of UDL
1. Provide multiple means of
representation- which
caters to how the learner
picks up information
2. Provide multiple means of
action and expression-
which revolves around
how the learner expresses
and acts on that
information
3. Provide multiple means of
engagement- which caters
to how the learner is
engaged by the learning
situation