What Is UDL?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for making learning more accessible by anticipating learner variability and offering learners multiple ways to engage in learning, perceive information, demonstrate their knowledge, and interact with materials and their peers. It can be used as a proactive teaching approach that considers ways to plan for student diversity.
UDL didn't start in a psychology lab—it actually emerged from the world of architecture and physical design and was bolstered by the Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law in the 1990’s compelling physical design to be accessible. Historically, the built environment featured obstacles like stairs, heavy doors, and narrow hallways that excluded disabled people. In the classroom, equivalent systemic barriers compromised access for students with a wide range of disabilities. UDL was formalized to bridge this gap, recognizing that the environment—not the learner—is creating a disabling environment.
When we frame our teaching through UDL, we gain a highly adaptable framework that proactively considers learning obstacles. Organizations at the forefront of this movement, such as CAST (the Center for Applied Special Technology), initially focused on how rigid, inaccessible curricula actively harm disabled students. Over the decades, however, that spotlight expanded into a powerful realization: designing a curriculum for equity benefits every single learner in the room.
Think of UDL as a “toolkit” for your teaching and a “GPS” for ways to be responsive and proactive for a wide range of students. Learn more about the UDL 3.0 standards at the CAST website.
