1. Universal Design for Learning
(UDL): Moving from Innovation to
Implementation
2011 ATAP RI ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
Dr. Patti Ralabate, Dr. Joanne Karger, and Dr. Fran Smith
CAST and Boston College Lynch School of Education

2. 3 Networks = 3 UDL Principles
Principles

3. UDL EXPLAINED by Chris Bugaj
http://community.udlcenter.org/video/video/show?id=5458219%3AVideo%3A1029

4. Civil
Rights
Technology Neuroscience
Emergence of UDL

6. 1984 – 1987 – 1989 – Develops
CAST founded Creates accessible Gateway 1st talking book
- Technology-based digital books
solutions for Sw/ LD (talk & work w/single
switch)
CAST INNOVATIONS
Historical moments (1970’s & 80’s):
1988 – • Section 504 (1973)
Equal Access program • P.L. 94-142 (1975)
- Equalizing access to • Apple MAC is born
curriculum through tech • Universal Design (1988) (architecture)
• Tech Act (1988)
• WWW is born

7. 1999 –
1993 – National Center for
1996— Accessing the General
Develops
Bobby designed Curriculum
WiggleWorks w/UDL
for web accessibility
features
CAST INNOVATIONS
Historical moments (1990s):
1998 –
First UDL • ADA (1990)
Principles • IDEA (1990, 1997)
are developed • TV Decoder Circuitry Act (1990)
1995 – • DAISY consortium (1996)
Develops E-Reader • AT Act (1998)
• Section 508 (1998)

8. 2001 –
1st UDL Institute 2004 – 2006 –
Thinking UDL Book Builder & Lesson Builder
2002 – Reader
Teaching Every
Student
CAST INNOVATIONS
Historical moments:
2003 –
E-Reader 3.0 • NCLB (2001)
w/ DAISY format • IDEA (2004)
• National UDL Task Force (2006)

9. 2007 – 2009 –
National UDL Online Modules &
Summit Science Writer
2007 –
AIM
Consortium
CAST INNOVATIONS
2008—
Historical moments:
UDL Editions,
Strategy • HEOA (2008)
Tutor • National Ed Tech Plan (2010)
• Common Core Standards (2010)
2008—
National Center on UDL

10. 2011– and CAST Center for Emerging Technology
beyond… Center for Online Learning
UDL FOCUS Composition Builder
UDL Connect
UDL Series New ‘TES’
UDL Collections (Gates)
UDL Studio
Lesson Builder
Project Open UDL –IRN
CAST INNOVATIONS
Historical moments:
Race to the Top/ARRA funds
Assessment Consortia
Postsecondary AIM Advisory Commission
ESEA reauthorization??
IDEA reauthorization??

11. UDL for ALL
Katherine Charles Frank
 Elementary  Secondary  Higher Ed
Faculty
 Focus on  Focus on  Teaches pre-
Literacy Science service
instruction instruction educators
 Professional  Middle School  Leads
learning Team Leader Practicum
Placement
community Team

12. UDL Series
Learner Variability & UDL
http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/

13. http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf

14. What does it look like? Choices - Options
Digital tools that motivate and
engage the learner
Flexible
Classroom
Approaches

15. What does it look like? Options for
composition &
problem-solving
• Spellcheckers, grammar
checks, word prediction
software
• Speech to text, audio
recording
• Sentence starters,
sentence strips
• Story webs, outlining tools,
concept maps
• Computer-Aided-Design
(CAD)

17. The growth of UDL...

18. Unleashing the Power of Innovation for Assistive
Technology” (2009), NCTI --5 Important Themes
 Convergence
 Customizability & universal
design for learning (UDL)
 Research or evidence-based
 Portability to promote
independence
 Interoperability

19. UDL for ALL
Katherine Charles Frank
 Elementary  Secondary  Higher Ed
Faculty
 Focus on  Focus on  Teaches pre-
Literacy Science service
instruction instruction educators
 Professional  Middle School  Leads
learning Team Leader Practicum
Placement
community Team

20. Momentum in the States

21. UDL mentioned in –
Rhode Island Special Education State
Performance Plan
Dropout Rate for Students in
Special Education
Rhode Island’s High School
Diploma System
RI Literacy Policy paper
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
will be the foundation for teaching,
learning, assessment, and curriculum
development.”

22. Take-aways
AT & UDL Intersections
 AT - significant role in  UDL implementation is
historical emergence of more than access
UDL  Tools now are
commonplace & built
into learning
 AT is built in for
everyone – benefits ALL

23. Take-aways
Future UDL Innovation
 How can you
infuse UDL into
your practice &
across RI now & in
the future?