Universal Design in Education

DO-IT champions universal design as a tool to make all aspects of the educational experience welcoming to, usable by, and inclusive of everyone, including people with disabilities.

While physical spaces, courses, technology, and student services are often designed for the average student, the practice of universal design in education (UDE) considers people's diverse characteristics in the design of all formal and informal educational products and environments. UDE goes beyond accessible design for people with disabilities to make all aspects of the educational experience more inclusive for students, staff, instructors, administrators, and visitors with a great variety of intersecting characteristics, including those related to gender, race and ethnicity, age, stature, disability, and learning preference.

DO-IT created The Center for Universal Design in Education to share and promote resources that help educators apply universal design to all aspects of the educational experience. DO-IT founder and previous director Sheryl Burgstahler is a strong advocate for UDE--she wrote, edited, and continues to promote her books on the subject:

• Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities in Higher Education: A Universal Design Toolkit
• Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice, 2nd Edition
• Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices