Why Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is Important for Learners with Disabilities

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is known as an educational framework and approach to assist all students with equal opportunities to learn by designing fair and accessible curriculum. The main goal of UDL is to remove barriers and offer an inclusive learning environment for learners, including those with diverse abilities, backgrounds, and learning styles (Priyadharsini & Sahaya Mary, 2024).

The overall facilities in traditional classrooms have significantly improved. However, some of the learning methods do not help every student in a class. For example, a PowerPoint presentation is one of the most used learning materials that teachers use. Most of the educators also share the file with students so they can access the course material at their convenience. The main issue is that some of the lecture slides or PowerPoint presentations remain outdated while containing excessive words and lacking the components that would let the student interact with the information. As a result, students might struggle to retrieve information from these lecture slides, particularly during exams when they must review all materials.

It is unfortunate that many educational institutions do not evaluate or modify their course materials regularly. Galanek & Brooks (2019) reported that students believe certain instructors do not update or share course materials well, and this affects their preparation and overall academic performance. This suggests that curricula often fail to be accessible and inclusive of a diverse population because the educational system does not assess and adapt based on student learning. Moreover, learning disabilities are often undiagnosed because of the stigma attached to acknowledging them, and our educational institutions do not acknowledge the individual differences in academic performance and the attention and care the students with learning disabilities deserve. Therefore, it is crucial to reconsider the instructional design and take effective actions to improve the learning experiences of the students.

The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) recognized the three brain networks involved in learning which are absent in traditional instructional design.

The recognition networks: Perception and processing of information in the environment
The strategic networks: Planning and organizing procedures and skills
The affective networks: Influencing learner’s motivation and participation

CAST also acknowledged the lack of variation and flexibility in learning methods in instructional design while creating UDL. It is important to mention that UDL is characterized as a non-prescriptive method, which might be adaptable to many applications. However, studies conducted in regular, non-inclusive, and inclusive settings and special education environments showed positive effects of UDL practices on samples of school-aged children with benefits in academic, cognitive, behavioral, and social skills (Rusconi & Squillaci, 2023).

Let’s talk about the example we used earlier about outdated and content heavy PowerPoint slides that educators use. Think about what happens during exams when students are expected to revise those cluttered, unclear, or incomplete information. Some students might be able to retrieve information from these slides, but it might create barriers for a significant number of students, particularly learners who need visual support, simple explanations, or interactive methods to properly learn and understand the material. This is exactly where UDL might become helpful by-

motivating educators to update lecture materials effectively,
using visual and interactive elements,
provide multiple ways to understand the content and
reduce cluttered and excessive texts in lecture materials.

Thus, with UDL strategies, those heavy, outdated slides can become useful learning tools that will be accessible for all students.

There are some limitations in implementing UDL in academic settings. For instance, practical implementation and empirical research: most experimental studies on the effectiveness of UDL have been conducted in North America. So, few countries have discovered how the UDL model would work in their educational system. Even though UDL addresses the individual influences of the students’ learning experiences, future studies should focus on how socio-cultural and economic backgrounds impact the students (Rusconi & Squillaci, 2023).

To conclude, UDL encourages instructors to develop adaptable, user-friendly resources that contain visuals, infographics, updated content, and different ways to process information. When educators utilize UDL principles, they aim to create a learning environment in which every student has an opportunity to succeed. Thus, by reducing barriers while meeting the unique needs of the students, UDL promotes fairness, involvement, and confidence among individuals coming from any socio-cultural background.

References

Galanek, J., & Brooks, D. C. (2019, May 14). Enhancing Student Academic Success with Technology.

Priyadharsini, V., & Sahaya Mary, R. (2024). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Inclusive Education: Accelerating Learning for All. Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities, 11(4), 145–150. https://doi.org/10.34293/sijash.v11i4.7489

Rusconi, L., & Squillaci, M. (2023). Effects of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Training Course on the Development Teachers’ Competences: A Systematic Review. In Education Sciences (Vol. 13, Issue 5). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050466

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