Universal Design For Learning

UDL does not mean lowering standards; it means removing unnecessary barriers. When course materials and assessment structures are designed flexibly from the start, faculty save time managing individual accommodation requests, and all students benefit from a more inclusive learning environment. It is probably not possible to remove all barriers; however, consider some of these options to help minimize the need for accommodations.

Individual Accommodations vs. Universal Design

Individual accommodations are reactive, whereas Universal Design is a proactive approach that can make individual accommodations uneccessary.

Individual Accommodation (Reactive)	Universal Design Alternative (Proactive)	How UDL Makes the Accommodation Unnecessary
Extended Time on Exams	Untimed or Generously Timed Exams	Designing online or in-class exams with no strict time limit (or setting time limits well beyond what is needed to finish) measures mastery rather than processing speed.
Accessible / Digital Course Materials (e.g., Screen-reader accessible PDFs)	Native Digital & Accessible Documents	Creating documents using accessible formats (HTML/Canvas pages, structured Word/PDF files with headings and alt text) ensures all students can access text immediately without retrofitting.
Captions for Videos / Transcripts	Universal Closed Captioning	Enabling automatic or accurate closed captions on all course video and audio content benefits deaf/hard-of-hearing students, non-native language speakers, and those in noisy study environments.
Peer Note-Taker or Note-Taking Software	Shared Digital Lecture Notes / Slide Decks	Posting lecture slides, instructor outlines, or collaborative student notes in Canvas before or after class ensures that all students have complete information, regardless of their processing speed or motor skills.
Preferential Seating	Flexible Seating & Unrestricted Access	Allowing open seating without assigned spots, along with ensuring clear sightlines and multiple accessible seating options, lets students self-select what works best for them.
Flexibility with Deadlines	Grace Periods & Drop-Lowest Policies	Building in flexible deadline windows (e.g., an automatic 48-hour grace period) or dropping the lowest assignment grade accommodates unexpected life or health events without individual requests. *Note there still may be students who need more flexibility in line with their periodic absences accommodation.
Alternative Exam Formats	Multiple Means of Expressing Knowledge	Giving students choices for final projects or assessments (e.g., an essay, an oral presentation, a video project, or a portfolio) allows them to demonstrate their learning in their strongest medium.
Copies of Lecture Slides / Outlines in Advance	Early Access Course Content	Publishing all lecture decks, outlines, and readings at least 24–48 hours prior to class allows every student to preview and prepare.
Large Print / High-Contrast Materials	Scalable Digital Text & Clean Layouts	Providing digital readings in reflowable text formats (like HTML or Word) allows students to adjust zoom, contrast, and font sizes natively on their own devices.
Audio Recording of Lectures	Class Recordings / Lecture Capture/ allowing Genio or Notability for everyone	Recording and publishing class sessions (or key lecture segments) automatically on Canvas gives all students access to review complex material at their own pace.