Universal Design of Learning Technologies

Making traditional books and printed materials accessible via new technology is a necessary but not sufficient step if all learners are to find the opportunities they deserve. In effect, we are still using new technologies to do old things. My colleagues on this panel have been describing, ways to use powerful new technologies to do NEW things - to engage all students in active experimentation at a level impossible in "traditional" classrooms, to communicate about learning with other students all over the world, to evaluate their own learning, to construct problem solutions in social groups, to create and edit new kinds of media well beyond the limits of writing text. These technologies prepare students for their future.

Unfortunately, the design of most of these learning technologies does not consider students with disabilities. As a result, innumerable new barriers for students with disabilities are being created inadvertently every day. These powerful new learning technologies are in their infancy, as yet unformed. Once formed, disseminated, and in use, these technologies will have to be retrofitted, or new assistive technologies designed, to overcome the new barriers being designed while we are discussing theses issues.

An analogy well known to members of this panel will illustrate my point. Several decades ago, the new technology of television was inaccessible for viewers who were deaf. Eventually, decoder boxes to display captions improved access to television for deaf viewers. The cost of this retrofitted technology, several hundred dollars per television, still excluded many people. Legislation requiring televisions to include caption display technology led to the development of small decoder chips costing pennies apiece that were then included on all new televisions. The beneficiaries of this high quality, efficient technology include not only those who are deaf but also hearing individuals in gyms and noisy airports, spouses retiring at different times, and individuals learning English as a second language.

The concept of building accessibility into learning technology from the start is an example of what is called Universal Design. Well executed universal design leads to less expensive solutions and better outcomes for all learners. At this moment in history, with rapid proliferation of learning technologies, it is imperative that we make Universal Design an urgent, high priority.

The recent history of Section 508 illustrates the potential national problem if we wait. Most government websites were originally created with little or no awareness of disability access options. The mandate to make such sites accessible has led to enormous expense in retrofitting these designs-adding electronic "ramps" after the designs were completed. Had the knowledge of Universal Design approaches been available, time and dollars could have been saved, and more people could have enjoyed access to these important sites from the beginning.

To ensure that learning technologies work for all learners, Congress can take the same kind of leadership as it did in legislating 508 for the workplace - in this case in the "learning place."

Recommendations Regarding Universal Design of Learning Technologies

1. Congress should require that any educational technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal Government should be Universally Designed.

2. Congress should require that all educational programs administered or supported by the Federal Government use universally designed educational technology.

3. To ensure rapid dissemination of universally designed educational technologies, Congress should support the development of research-based guidelines for school districts, publishers, parents, and administrators on how to evaluate and select universally designed educational technologies.

4. Congress should provide funding for continued research and development in designing, implementing, and integrating better universally designed educational technologies.