Principles of Universal Design

Overview

Design started in architecture with Ron Mace, a designer who became disabled and subsequently created seven principals to consider when designing physical spaces for inclusiveness.  The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) modified Mace's seven principles to include three overarching ideals for instruction which they termed, Universal Design for Learning. Another framework, University Design for Instruction (UDI), comes from Scott, McGuire, & Embry's 2002 modification of Chickering and Gamson's "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education". It is important to note that Universal Design is not a “dumbing” down of your course. Universal Design for Learning is not about making the course unnecessarily easy, it is about making it accessible.

Developed by Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), Universal Design for Learning emphasizes flexibility in engagement, representation, and action & expression in the classroom. CAST is the authority on UDL.