Universal Design

Initially applied in the field of architecture, universal design refers to creating a space that meets the needs everyone – with our without a disability. Universal Instruction Design was created to meet the needs of students with and without disabilities. The following citations may be of assistance in understanding accommodation options in the classroom and give ideas to increase the universality of the learning environment. Please contact CAN for ideas, questions or additional information.

Principle 1: Equitable use                    Instruction is designed to be useful to and accessible
                                                          by people with diverse abilities.
                                                          Provide the same means of use for all students;
                                                          identical whenever possible, equivalent when not.

Principle 2: Flexibility in use                Instruction is designed to accommodate a wide
       range of individual abilities.
       Provide choice in methods of use.

Principle 3: Simple and intuitive           Instruction is designed in a straightforward and
       predictable manner, regardless of the student’s
       experience, knowledge, language skills, or current
       concentration level.
       Eliminate unnecessary complexity.

Principle 4: Perceptible                     Instruction is designed so that necessary information is
      communicated effectively to the student, regardless of
      ambient conditions or the student’s sensory ability.

Principle 5: Tolerance for error Instruction anticipates variation in individual
student learning pace and prerequisite skills.

Principle 6: Low physical effort         Instruction is designed to minimize nonessential
                                                       physical effort in order to allow maximum learning.
                                                       Note: This principle does not apply when physical effort is
                                                       integral to essential requirements of a course.

Principle 7: Size and space for         Instruction is designed with consideration for
                   approach and use          appropriate size and space for approach, reach,
                                                       manipulations, and use regardless of a student’s
                                                       body size, posture, mobility, and communication needs.

Principle 8: A community of              The instructional environment promotes interaction
                  learners                         and communication among students and between students
                                                       and faculty.

Principle 9: Instructional climate Instruction is designed to be welcoming and inclusive.
High expectations are espoused for all students.

Taken from the article written by McGuire, J, Scott, S., & Shaw, S. (2003). Universal Design for Instruction: The paradigm, its principles, and products for enhancing instructional access. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 17(1), 11-21.

· Establish areas for certain types of activities (e.g., in-boxes, out-boxes, group area)

o Use specific concrete statements, such as “Now I want you to get out 3 things: your book , your spiral notebook, and a pencil."

o Use cue words like “look up here” or "listen please” or gestures (a raised hand) before giving directions

· Activate prior knowledge by brainstorming with students or making predictions (use anticipation guides with true and false statements related to the material – students can vote which ones are true and explain their thinking, which will also enhance comprehension and interest in readings).

o Providing background information, stating concepts and ideas to be learned in the lesson

· Pre-teach difficult concepts and vocabulary, preview and/or write technical words or words that are difficult to spell

· Minimize the use of negative adjective and adverbs, such as “not all rocks…not many countries”

· Be specific and direct, such as “igneous rock…one-fourth of the population”

· Use cue words or phrases to let the student know what information is important, such as “it is import that you know…” or "the key information to remember is…”

· Stop frequently and have students work with partners and discuss what they have learned

o EXAMPLE – Pause Procedure: Pause during natural breaks in instruction/lectures and have students work in partners for about two minutes to discuss what they are learning and review their notes. After two minutes, ask students if they have questions or concepts that need further discussion or clarification.

· Use effective pace, keep things going to maintain attention but not so fast as to lose the audience

· A visual format for organizing thoughts and finding main idea, such as a time line, compare/contrast list, hierarchy, story map, concept diagram, Venn diagrams, notes, skeleton notes

· Can give students blank graphic organizers as a review, have them construct graphic organizer, give them partially completed graphic organizer, or give them a completed one as an aid

Highlight key concepts for students who have difficult comprehending textbook material:

· Use a study guide. Such as outlines, abstracts, or questions that emphasize important information to list the major concepts, with space for students to add more information

· Encourage repeated reading to promote increased reading fluency and comprehension

· Test on less content than the rest of the class (focus on main ideas/big picture)

University of Connecticut – Universal Design for Learning: Facultyware. A resource containing information about Universal Design for Instruction and products recommended by faculty nationwide. www.facultyware.uconn.edu

Buhler, C. (2001). Empowered participation of users with disabilities in universal design. Behindertenlife (FBT), Evangelische Stiftung Volmarstein, Grundschottelerstr, 40, 85-99.

Abstract. This paper provides an introduction to empowered user participation and its relevance for the universal design process. It highlights the benefits of user participation and proposes a way to implement it in projects. The paper is based on the experiences of the European project FORTUNE. As an introduction, some basic considerations of the concepts of design for all and universal design are presented. The value of user involvement in European Research and Development (R & D) projects is reported. The FORTUNE concept of user participation in projects is introduced as a reference model for participation of users with disabilities, and a set of criteria for the assessment of user participation is provided as a practical tool. A brief overview of methodologies for user participation and potential organizational frameworks is also presented.

Chang, B., Tremblay, K., & Dunbar, B. (2000). An experiential approach to teaching universal design. Education, 121(1), 153-158.

Abstract: The purpose of this article was to examine the effect of a teaching unit on design students’ knowledge of universal design and attitudes toward people with disabilities. Thirty-two design students were asked to complete a survey instrument before and after the six week teaching unit. Findings indicated that students’ knowledge of the seven principles of universal design increased and their scores on the Attitudes toward Disabled Persons Scale became more positive as a result of the teaching unit.

Fichten, C., Asuncion, J., Barile, M., Genereuz, C., Fossey, M., Judd, D., Robillard, C., De Simone, C., & Wells, D. (2001). Technology integration for students with disabilities: Empirically based recommendations for faculty. Educational Research and Evaluation, 7, 185-221.

Abstract: Three empirical studies examined the computer technology needs and concerns of close to 800 college and university students with various disabilities. Findings indicated that the overwhelming majority of these students used computers, but that almost half needed some type of adaptation to use computers effectively. Data provided by the students and by a small sample of professors underscore the importance of universal design in a variety of areas: courseware development, electronic teaching and learning materials, and campus information technology infrastructure. Sex and age of students were only minimally related to attitudes toward computers or their use in our samples. Key findings summarize the problems faced by students with different disabilities as well as the computer related adaptations that are seen as helpful. These are used to formulate concrete, practical recommendations for faculty to help them ensure full access to their courses.

Higbee, J.L. (2001) Implications of universal instructional design for developmental education. Research & teaching in developmental education, 17(2), 67-70.

Abstract: Universal Instructional Design (UID) is an application of Universal Design, a concept that was initiated in the field of architecture (Shapiro, 1993; Silver, Bourke, & Strehorn, 1998). When practicing Universal Design, an architect determines potential users of a facility or building and then designs the space to meet the needs of all. Thus, Universal Design eliminates the necessity to make individual accommodations because the building is universally accessible. Within the last decade, educators have begun to apply the concept of Universal Design to their own profession. Faculty members who practice Universal Instructional Design develop their own courses to meet the needs of all students. UID involves multimodal teaching as well as multimodal assessment methods to enhance learning for all students and ensure evaluation of student learning that considers individual differences in the ability to demonstrate knowledge in specific ways.

Hitchcock, C., Meyer, A., Rose, D., & Jackson, R. (2002). Providing new access to the general curriculum: Universal design for learning. Council for Exceptional Children, 35, 8-17.

Abstract: This article examines what we mean by access, participation, and progress in the general education curriculum and suggests a new framework for curriculum reform that holds promise for students with disabilities, in particular, and raises countless possibilities for all students. The article presents the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework for curriculum reform that takes advantage of new media and new technologies for learning.

Konur, O. (2002) Assessment of disabled students in higher education: Current public policy issues. Assessment & evaluation in higher education, 27(2), pp. 131-152.

Abstract: Although there are over 68,000 disabled students in higher education programs in the UK, a laissez-faire policy has been adapted regarding the provision of assessment services for these students, with a result that there have been no statutory duties for these programs not to discriminate against them. With the introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001) amending Part IV of the Disability Discrimination ‘Act (1995), it would be timely to consider assessment related issues and benefits from the experiences of the US higher education programs and educational testing agencies in this area since the mid-1970s. This paper argues that it is the academic achievement of disabled students that should be measured by the assessment services, not their disabilities. Without the provision of reasonable assessment adjustments, as the research shows, it is inevitable that disabilities of disabled students would be measure not by their academic achievements, contrary to the main argument put forward by Sharp and Earle (2000) among others. The paper argues for a historical role for the educators and administrators of higher education programs in eliminating discrimination against disabled students in provision of assessment services at every state of their studies in the long run.

McGuire, J, Scott, S., & Shaw, S. (2003). Universal Design for Instruction: The paradigm, its principles, and products for enhancing instructional access. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 17(1), 11-21.

Abstract: Universal Design for Instruction (UDI), a construct that serves as the foundation for the work of a federally funded project at the University of Connecticut, offers an approach to inclusive instruction that is responsive to the diverse learning needs of a changing postsecondary population. In this article elements relating to the implementation of project activities are presented, including the participation of key stakeholders throughout the grant period. The application of the Nine Principles of UDI© to college teaching is discussed along with observations regarding project outcomes. Suggestions for future initiatives are also delineated.

Meyer, A. & Rose, D. (2000). Universal design for individual differences. Educational Leadership, 39-43.

Abstract: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Applied to instruction, the principles of universal design can guide the development of educational tools to accommodate the diverse needs of all students, including those with disabilities.

Neumann, H. (2003). What teacher-librarians should know about universal design. Teacher Librarian, 31, 17-20.

Abstract: Provides information on universal design. Examples of universal design; Details of universal design for learning; Implications of universal design for the school library; List of resources in print and online, that offer guidance for teacher-librarians on universal design.

Oravec, J. (2002). Virtually accessible: Empowering students to advocate for accessibility and support universal design. Library HiTech, 20(4), 452-461.

Abstract: Students’ professional training often focuses on narrow technical considerations that exclude accessibility concerns and universal design perspectives. This can make them ill-equipped to understand the importance of accessibility approaches let along become advocates for them. This article explores how students who design Web sites and work with computer end users in support capacities can be introduced to accessibility approaches and empowered to promote them in organizational contexts. The issues involved can also be used as spring boards for examination of larger matters concerning universal design perspectives and humanistic approaches to management.

Scott, S., McGuire, J., & Shaw, S. (2003). Universal design for instruction: A new paradigm for adult instruction in postsecondary education. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 369-379.

Abstract: Postsecondary education has experienced rapid change in its student population. College students with learning disabilities represent a growing presence on college campuses across the country. Traditional means of meeting the learning needs of college students with learning disabilities through retrofitted changes and accommodations to classroom instruction have proven limited. Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) offers a new paradigm for approaching equal educational access. This article will describe UDI and discuss its implications for enhancing learning for students with learning disabilities and other diverse learners.

Sanford, J.A., Story, M.F. (1998). Consumer participation to inform universal design. Technology and Disability, 9, 149-162.

Abstract: Significant demographic and ideological changes affecting who we are, what we can do, and where we live require a world that is more accommodating to variances in mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, and manual dexterity. Universal design, in contract to specialized design, is an approach to creating everyday environments and products that are usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of age or ability. Universal design implies responsiveness to the needs of diverse users. This paper explores how consumer participation is essential to ensure that design is responsive to user needs and that it is universally usable. Four areas of participation are examined: consumer involvement in defining user needs; consumer evaluation to inform industry and educate the consumer; consumer participation to impact regulatory requirements; and consumer assessment in design exploration and education. Moreover, consumer participation is a two-way exchange. It not only benefits designers by providing much needed information for the design of products and environments, but also has direct and indirect benefits for those who participate. These benefits are also discussed.

Stephanidis, C. (2001). Adaptive techniques for universal access. User modeling and user-adapted interaction, 11, 159-179.

Abstract. This paper discusses the contribution of adaptive techniques to Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. To this effect, the paper revisits the concept of Universal Access, briefly reviews relevant work on adaptive techniques, and follows their application in efforts to provide accessibility of interactive systems, from the early, product- and environment-level adaptation-based approaches, to more generic solutions oriented towards Universal Access. Finally, the paper highlights some of the research challenges ahead. The normative perspective of the paper is that adaptive techniques in the context of Universal Access have the potential to facilitate both accessibility and high quality interaction, for the broadest possible end-user population. This implies the design of systems that undertake context-sensitive processing so as to manifest their functional core in alternative interactive embodiments suitable for different users, usage patterns and contexts of use. Such a capability needs to be built into the system from the early phases of conception and design, and subsequently validated throughout its life cycle.

Tobias, J. (1997). Universal design applied to business practices. Technology and disability, 7, 63-71.

Abstract. Universal design can be defined as design of products and services so that they can be used by the larges number of people – including people with disabilities – right out of the box. Its principal claim is that for market reasons alone, companies should be sure that they include the needs of customers with disabilities, aging customers, customers who use different languages, etc., from the very beginning of their product development process. By using universal design, companies can maximize their potential market. As important as product development is to the business process, it is only one stage in a products life cycle and one element in its success. Product design lies within a constellation of activities such as market analysis, marketing, advertising, and customer support. There are implications for all of these in universal design. The most accessible product will not service its intended customers if they have never heard of it, do not understand what it can do for them, cannot read its manuals and cannot communicate with a customer representative. This paper will review some of these business process issues in detail. It will describe what a number of companies in the information industry are doing now in these arenas. It will end with suggestions as to what work needs to be accomplished so that universal design can permeate more business practices in more companies.

Ward, A. & Baker, P. (2005). Disabilities and impairments: Strategies for workplace integration. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 23, 143-160.

Abstract: This article argues that disabilities are, within many of the U.S. debates, best understood as certain kinds of impairments affecting a person’s capabilities to perform socially defined roles and functions within specific environments. We also argue that it is not the impairments per se that lead to claims about what we ought to do or ought not to do for people with disabilities. Rather, it is only within the context of capabilities being linked to the concept of freedom—almost universally valued in the current U.S. socio-political environment—that disability issues take on an ethical tenor. Additionally, we link the notion of disability to that of social capital. In particular, we argue that any social organization that discriminates against people with disabilities by attenuating their opportunities within that environment also decreases the social cohesion that exists within that organization. Such corporate climates promote organizational structures and processes that fail to optimize facilitation of the mutual benefits of members. Finally, we discuss three different kinds of accommodation strategies: assistive technologies, systematic personal change, and universal design. We suggest a case-based (casuistic) approach to problems caused by disabilities. Using methods from both philosophy and public policy, we then build policies for accommodations incrementally, based on an application of those methods to the cases, and resulting in a more nuanced process enabling the creation of policies that take account of the experiences of both disabled and non-disabled people. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wilson, K.E. & Getzel, E.E. (2001). Creating a supportive campus: The VCU professional development academy. The journal for vocational special needs, 23(2), 12-18.

Abstract: Faculty and administrators play a critical role in helping to create a responsive campus for students with diverse needs. Acknowledging the strong relationship between an informed faculty and administration and student outcomes such as retention, academic performance, and social integration on campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, an urban university located in the southeaster United States with an enrollment of 22,000 developed a model for comprehensive disability services. The model incorporates, as one of its components, the implementation of a disability-specific professional development initiative. This article will describe the model that was developed based on the recommendation of an external evaluation, and will provide examples of professional development activities that have been initiated.

Embry, P. B., Parker, D. R., McGuire, J. M., & Scott, S. S., (2005). Postsecondary Disability Service Providers’ Perceptions About Implementing Universal Design for Instruction (UDI). Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 18(1), 34-48.

Abstract: Sixteen disability service providers from 2-year and 4-year public and private postsecondary institutions were divided into 2 focus groups, each with 8 participants. When asked to share their perspectives on the implementation of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) on their campus, service providers described strengths and weaknesses of UDI, potential changes to their current roles and responsibilities, and support structures they would need to promote the adoption of UDI on their campuses. Participants’ comments reflected detailed knowledge about successful change agentry at the institutional level.

Rimmer, J.H, Riley, B., Wang, E., Rauworth, A., & Jurkowski, Janine (2004). Physical activity participation among persons with disabilities barriers and facilitators. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 26(5), 419-425.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify various barriers and facilitators associated with participation in fitness and recreation programs/facilities among persons with disabilities.