Universal Design for Learning

Universally designed products are developed from inception with flexible options enabling learners with a wide array of needs to use them. The concept originated in architecture and product design. The central spiral ramp at the Guggenheim Museum is a beautiful alternative to a traditional staircase, usable by people who usually walk up and down steps, by people wheeling baby carriages or strollers, and by people in wheel chairs. This is an example of universal design. The needs of myriad users are considered at the beginning, thereby avoiding costly, unattractive, and less effective retrofits such as added ramps.

CAST is convinced that universal design, when applied to curriculum, will have a profound impact on learning, teaching, and access to information. Universal design for learning means that the creators or publishers of content and curriculum use computer technology to structure their knowledge and activities in ways that will make it accessible to the greatest possible number of individuals.

In Cast's view the three key components of universal design for learning are: multiple representations of information; alternative means of expression; and varied options for engagement. Examples of multiple representations include: text that can be "read" aloud by the computer, captions on video or text for audio material; verbal descriptions of pictures, and the use of video and animation to convey concepts. Examples of alternative means of expression include options to record oral speech, to draw, or to present ideas through a dramatic presentation. Finally, different students can be motivated if content, level of challenge, and the nature of supports can be selected and changed.

Universal design for learning is developing rapidly. Examples of programs employing universal design principles are WiggleWorks: The Beginning Literacy System™ (Scholastic, only available to schools); Bailey's Book House™ (Edmark), CAST eReader (CAST) and Write:OutLoud™ (Don Johnston Developmental Equipment). Though designed for different ages and supporting different kinds of learning, these programs share the underpinning of built-in adjustability to suit varied learner needs. The more such adjustability is built into learning products, the less of an impediment will be the difficulties in written expression evidenced by the broad spectrum of students our schools must educate.

For students with severe disabilities, universal design can mean the difference between participation and exclusion. For those with mild disabilities or with varied learning styles and preferences, universal design can enhance their performance and participate on a level playing field with peers who are more comfortable and successful with printed text. As pedagogy and technology continue to improve, universally designed classrooms can become real and even prevalent in the near future. Imagine, if you can, a classroom where a skilled and dedicated teacher presents a carefully designed and relevant curriculum to each learner in an individualized form that the child can readily can grasp, a classroom where all learners are supported or scaffolded by tools that allow them to practice their skills with support and bridge their learning weaknesses to make the very most of their intellectual gifts. CAST is pursuing universal design because we believe that each of our children deserves nothing less.