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California 95370 209·588·5100
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Accessibility as a term can mean many things to different people. In general it can be said that accessibility refers to the ease with which someone can use something. Most people think of accessibility in terms of the physical environment. Ramps instead of steps, parking stalls that are wider and closer to a building, and cuts in curbs of sidewalks are some of the most evident examples of physically related accessibility features in our immediate environments. Accessibility can be applied more broadly than these examples. Accessibility as a concept can be applied to most features of our lives. From the products we buy, the media we use, and the manner in which we share information with others.
Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) is a new paradigm for teaching, learning and assessment that
draws on new brain research and new media technologies to respond to individual
learner differences (CAST, 2003). In application it serves as a framework to aid
in designing instruction methods, course content, teaching materials, and
assessments that are accessible and appropriate for persons with different
backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities in a wide variety of learning
contexts. UDL is not concerned with just access to information but with access
to learning itself. The word "universal" as used in Universal Design for
Learning refers to not one solution but instead to the use of flexibility and
alternatives to adapt to the needs of a variety of learners.
Universal Design for Learning has at its core four assumptions about teaching
and learning.
Students with disabilities fall along a continuum of learner differences rather than constituting a separate category.
Teacher adjustments for learner differences should occur for all students, not just those with disabilities.
Curriculum materials should be varied and diverse including digital and online resources, rather than centering on a single textbook.
Instead of remediating students so that they can learn from a set curriculum, curriculum should be made flexible to accommodate learner differences (CAST, 2003).
Assistive technology and UDL are not the same things. Assistive technologies are the tools that persons with disabilities use to increase their functional abilities. Reliance solely on assistive technology places the burden of accessibility on the user of the technology. Implementation of the principles of UDL places the burden of accessibility on the curriculum and means designing materials and tasks so that they are accessible to all persons. So what is the relationship between the two? The relationship is that the implementation of UDL principles either eliminates the need for some aspects of assistive technology or it builds in features that are typically considered assistive technology or simply allow for easier and full use of assistive technology tools.
For example, incorporating a digital text in place of a printed text eliminates the need to scan the printed text into a computer to allow the content to be spoken. Including a written description of the contents of a photo on a web page allows a person with visual impairments to determine the contents of the photo using screen reader software. Producing a textbook in digital format on a CD allows a student to use text-to-speech software to have the contents read aloud or a person with visual impairments to magnify the content using screen magnifier software. The ultimate outcome would be that individuals would not have to use any assistive technology because all content would be accessible to all people. Until then, incorporation of UDL principles allows for increased use of assistive technology.
Page last updated 11/12/2008
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