Universal Design

1. Universal Design Disability Training Network for the TAMU System

2. Contents Introduction to Universal Design Principles Essential Qualities Course Development Frequently Asked Questions Additional Resources

3. Introduction to Universal Design The term universal design was coined by Ron Mace, an architect who used a wheelchair and who experienced building inaccessibility first-hand. He defined universal design as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” Universal design principles are applied prior to the development of a product or environment and take into consideration the needs and characteristics of a wide range of potential users, including those who have disabilities. A classic example of universal design is the curb cut. Curb cuts were designed to be used by people who use wheelchairs. However, curb cuts are also used by people who have difficulties walking, people riding bicycles, and people pushing baby carriages. In educational settings, universal design was initially applied to environment and building development. However, the principles of universal design can also be applied to teaching, learning, assessment, and curriculum development. Universal design is beneficial to a broad group of students including students with identified disabilities, students with unidentified disabilities, students who are culturally or linguistically diverse, students who are of non-traditional age, students who are low achieving, and students who are high achieving. Within an educational context, universal design has several synonymous terms: universal instructional design, universal design for learning, universal design for instruction.

4. Principles The following are the principles of universal design as they are applied in educational settings, as well as examples of each principle. **Insert UD Principles table here**

5. Essential Qualities The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) developed a theoretical framework consisting of three essential qualities that universally designed instruction should have: multiple means of representation, multiple means of engagement, and multiple means of expression.

6. The instruction utilizes multiple means of representation. Information is represented in multiple formats and media. Examples: • Chalkboard • Powerpoint presentations • Overhead transparencies • Models • Simulations • Assignments in written form and posted on course website • Accessible electronic materials • Lecture outlines or notes distributed in class and/or posted on course website • Study guides • Summary of major concepts • The instruction utilizes multiple means of engagement. There are multiple ways of engaging students’ interests and motivations. • Variety of assignments (e.g., readings, group projects, tutorials, web searches) • Small group discussions, whole-class discussions, lectures, etc. • Teaching of explicit strategies to learn the material • The instruction utilizes multiple means of expression. Students are able to demonstrate knowledge through multiple pathways. • Variety of graded exercises (e.g., papers, examinations, homework, presentations) • Multiple formats on examinations (essay, short answer, oral, etc.) • Choices in graded exercises (e.g., final exam or final paper) • Sufficient time on examinations • Use of word processing, spell check, and grammar check Sources: CAST Curriculum Transformation and Disability (CTAD) at the University of Minnesota

7. Course Development Courses that are developed utilizing the principles of universal design meet the following criteria: • The essential components of the course are clearly defined. • Identify what the students expected to know, do, or value at the completion of the course • Consider the course objectives and requirements in terms of the function they serve • Prerequisite courses, knowledge, and skills are clearly defined. • Identify the prerequisite skills or abilities students should have • Identify other courses or resources that would help students attain those skills and abilities • Expectations are communicated clearly. • Syllabus • Develop a syllabus that reflects the essential components of the course and outlines the necessary prerequisite knowledge and skills • Have the syllabus available for students to obtain early if requested and/or post the syllabus online • Include the following elements of a universally designed syllabus (For more information, visit Tip Sheet: The Universally Designed Syllabus) • Introductory information • Contact information • Prerequisites for the course • Course goals and learning objectives • Textbooks and readings • Course calendar or listing of topics • Additional materials required • Grading procedures • Course policies • Helpful tips or strategies • Disability statement • Quality work • Provide examples of good quality papers and projects • Post the examples online • Grading • Use rubrics to communicate how performance translates to grade • Provide a chart for students to use to track their own grades • Return graded items in a timely manner

8. The physical environment is accessible and conducive to learning. • Request a new classroom location if you have a student that is unable to access the classroom • Ensure that the room has good lighting and that there is not a light source behind you • Ensure that students always have a clear line of sight • Limit extraneous noise in the classroom • Make sure that lab activities and equipment are accessible to students (For more information about lab accessibility, visit CATEA: Barrier Free Education http://barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu/lab.php or DO-IT: Faculty Room—Science Labs http://www.cac.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Academic/Science/) • The climate encourages and supports interaction. • Encourage student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction through discussions, questions, group work, and course listservs • Learn students’ names • Recognize student diversity • Seek student input on components of the course that you would like to improve • Emphasize active listening and participation • Provide note or an outline for lectures so that students may attend and participate more actively • Allow time for formulating questions and responses • Organize class time in a predictable format (e.g., begin each class with a review and end each class with a summary of important points)

9. Technology enhances instruction and increases accessibility. • Post course materials (e.g., notes, handouts) online • Select videos that are captioned • Select textbooks that are available in digital or electronic text format • Ensure that website is accessible (For more information, visit W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI/) • Choose software applications that are accessible to students using assistive technology • A variety of mechanisms for demonstrating knowledge are available. • Develop a variety of possibilities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills • Provide students with alternatives (i.e., examinations, projects) • Assign grades based on level of mastery rather than how they compare to the other students in the course • Feedback is clear, prompt, and frequent. • Provide feedback supporting the grade assigned to papers and examinations • Include suggestions for improvement • Allow students to turn in early drafts of papers so that they may be redirected if necessary • Good study habits are encouraged and supported. • Provide study guides and review sessions for examinations • Encourage the formation of study groups • Arrange for upper level students to provide tutoring • Provide students with a list of technical vocabulary for the course, and include definitions, pronunciation cues, and examples of how the terms are used in context • Provide tips for succeeding in the course • Encourage the use of on-campus academic support services Source: Project PACE

10. Frequently Asked Questions What is universal design? Are there some examples of how instructors have used universal design in their courses? Who benefits from universal design? Does universal design eliminate the need for accommodation? What is the difference between universal design and assistive technology? How can I determine if my website is accessible?

11. What is universal design? Ron Mace defined universal design as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” Universal design is not a lowering of standards or a “one size fits all” model. Instead, universal design is about increasing learning accessibility by providing options. Within an educational context, universal design has several synonymous terms: universal instructional design, universal design for learning, and universal design for instruction.

12. Are there some examples of how instructors have used universal design in their courses? Yes. Instructors from many disciplines have utilized universal design. The following are some examples from the Ivy Access Initiative (2003): • A law faculty member developed a website that is "Bobby-approved.“ • A math/statistics faculty member began providing handouts of overheads to the entire class so that students could use them for reference and review. He also began to deliver his lectures more carefully, by replacing general terms like "this" or "that" with more specific descriptions, by pausing where appropriate, and by making eye contact with his students. • A composition faculty member began audio taping his class so students could review class discussion and the professor's instructions about completing assignments. • A psychology professor allowed students the choice of writing the final exam as a take-home or a 3-hour in-class final. • A sociology professor revised her syllabus to specify the objectives more clearly, and added a research project in addition to the midterm and final exam in order to diversify the types of work that affected the final grade in the course. • A geology professor developed computer animation modules to illustrate some of the key concepts in a course on physical hydrology. These are shown in class and available out of class as well. • A computer science professor started to begin each class with a forecast of the key concepts to be discussed that day and why they are important in the course material (after students complained that they had no context for his lectures). • An introductory physics course administers the midterm exams in the evening, allowing all students up to 2 ½ hours for a one-hour exam. • A biology professor began using two overhead projectors in his lectures so he can leave the old slide on the screen longer.

13. Who benefits from universal design? Because universal design maximizes accessibility to learning, it benefits all students, including students with identified disabilities, students with unidentified disabilities, culturally diverse students, linguistically diverse students, and nontraditional-aged students. Does universal design eliminate the need for accommodation? No, universal design does not eliminate the need for accommodation. However, because universal design eliminates many barriers, some students will not need any additional accommodation. What is the difference between universal design and assistive technology? Both universal design and assistive technology increase accessibility for students who have disabilities. However, universal design differs from assistive technology in several ways. Universal design alters the environment and information, while assistive technology lets the individual adjust to an unaltered environment or information source. With universal design, the burden of changing things rests with the designers. With assistive technology, the burden of changing things rests with the users. Universal design serves many people at once, and assistive technology is individualized. Lastly, assistive technology is usually more costly than using universal design. Keep in mind that universal design will not eliminate the need for assistive technology. Sources: Bowe (2000) and CAST

14. How can I determine if my website is accessible? There are some websites that can assist you in determining the accessibility of your website. • Bobby: Bobby tests web pages using the World Wide Web Consortium’s (WC3) Web Access Initiative guidelines for web accessibility. http://webxact.watchfire.com/ • Home Page Reader: Home Page Reader speaks text, frames, image and text links, alternate text for images and image maps, form elements including JavaScript, graphics descriptions, text in column format, and data input fields. • UsableNet: UsableNet provides software tools that allow web designers to automate website accessibility and usability testing, repair and delivery. http://www.usablenet.com/ • Vischeck: Vischeck allows the website to be seen as a colorblind person would see it. http://www.vischeck.com/ • WAVE: Similar to Bobby, but is Section 508 compliant. WAVE performs an analysis of tables to insure that table elements are logically presented. http://www.wave.webaim.org/index.jsp

15. Additional Resources Online Resources • Web Accessibility • FAME (Faculty and Administrator Modules in Higher Education): Web Accessibility section, Ohio State University http://www.oln.org/ILT/ada/Fame/web/f3_13_150.html • GRADE (Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education), Georgia Institute of Technology http://catea.org/grade/ • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm • Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI/ • Universal Design • Center for Applied special Technology (CAST) http://www.cast.org/ • Center of Universal Design, North Carolina State University http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/index.htm • FacultyWare, University of Connecticut http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/home.cfm • Project PACE, University of Arkansas at Little Rock http://www.ualr.edu/pace/ud/

16. Printed Resources • Universal Design • Bowe, F. G. (2000). Universal design in education: Teaching nontraditional students. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey. • Ouellett, M. L. (2004). Faculty development and universal instructional design. Equity & Excellence in Education, 37, 135-144. • Shaw, S., Scott, S., & McGuire, J. (2001). Teaching college students with learning disabilities. ERIC Digest #e618. Arlington , VA : Council for Exceptional Children. • Silver, P., Bourke, A., & Strehorn, K.C. (1998). Universal Instruction Design in Higher Education: An Approach for Inclusion. Equity & Excellence in Education. 31(2): 47-51.