Universal design for learning (UDL) is a concept where learners who have particular needs are considered in the design of content and curriculum. it is important that the design process is where these considerations are taken into account because otherwise the educator is going back and retro-actively making changes.

Universal design for learning is of the spirit of inclusion and means that students who may have certain challenges, such as hard of hearing, blind or physically disabled, will still have a reasonable chance of success with the curriculum as any other child would.

In order to ensure the design is friendly for a variety of students, educators must know the nature of their students’ needs. If they do not then it would be fair to make assumptions that some of the exceptional needs listed above be considered.

Teachers can use visuals and audio support for added clarity when they are teaching. For our group’s experiential teaching workshop, we will be utilizing multimedia formats where people with attention deficit challenges will feel included due to their engaging and changing nature.

Universal Design for learning is important to all students because as mentioned in the 335 information page, designing for inclusion will often benefit not just students with exceptional needs, but those categorized as capable!