Universal Design for Instruction and Technology

Many factors affect how students learn, e.g., disability, learning style, cultural and racial heritage, age and gender. Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) is an inclusive teaching model that connects with a diverse group of learners, including students with disabilities. The instructional delivery methods, activities and materials are varied and offer alternatives to the traditional formats, such as lectures. Students with disabilities use accommodations to help compensate for the functional limits of their disabilities. In many instances, UDI allow them to use a delivery method that compliments their abilities, rather than circumvents their functional limits.

Using accommodations, rather than UDI methods, is time consuming for students and faculty. Each semester students must re-establish their accommodations in new classes, which usually means faculty are also involved. Providing disability accommodations takes time and can be labor intensive.

The accommodations model also has the potential of highlighting the student's disability-related limitations or setting the student apart from the class. If all students have access to online notes, students eligible to receive class notes as an accommodation do not stand out as "different."

Universal Design for Instruction addresses the learning styles and needs of a diverse group of learners. This model requires less use of systems and procedures that tend to isolate groups of learners. UDI relies on four key principles:

1. Information is presented in a variety of formats and media.


2. Students can use a pathway that most effectively demonstrates their knowledge of the course material.


3. Using various instructional methods reaches more students.


4. Using UDI often eliminates the need for setting up disability accommodations.

Using computer and internet technology and specific adapted computer technology also eliminates the need for a student to request disability accommodations in a course. Some examples include:

1. Putting the Power Point slides of the lecture on Blackboard or online for all students to print eliminates the need for a note taker for the student whose disability interferes with note taking.


2. Having students take un-timed tests online eliminates the need for accommodations, such as extended time, a private room or access to a computer with word processing software used by students with certain types of learning disabilities.


3. Online discussions give students with disabilities in written expression more time to formulate their responses.


4. Captioned pod casts, video tapes and DVD’s eliminate the need for either post- production captioning or a printed transcript for deaf students.


5. Visual aids and handouts in reasonably large fonts are accessible for all students, including those with certain types of visual impairments and learning disabilities.

A self directed training course is available to UND’s BlackBoard users. Log into BlackBoard, Click on UND courses and search for CGO-UNIVERSAL-DESIGN in the course search box.

For More Information on UDI see:

Equity and Excellence in Higher Education: Universal Course Design at http://www.eeonline.org/

"Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction" at http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/equal_access_udi.html

Universal Design of Instruction Video http://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/ea_udi.html

"Teaching Students with Disabilities: Universal Instruction Design" at http://ds.umn.edu/faculty/teaching.html