Universal Design for Instruction ... Broken Down

Since starting at Cornerstone, I've been working closely with Dr. David Parker, Learning Specialist, on developing online tools for enriching student learning.

Dr. Parker re-introduced me to the idea of "UDI," or Universal Design for Instruction, which I'd heard about in passing before but never gotten into deeply.

There are links on the subject, but not many, and a few settled-on statements of principle, including this one from a team at the University of Connecticut.

The principles boil down things that are, at heart, matters of common sense. But like most common-sensical matters, they gain a lot when you put them into words.

What you see down below is yet another boiling down, no doubt a dreadful simplification but one I found easier to keep in my head.

The Principals for Universal Design for Instruction
Original language is (c) 2002 by the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability, University of Connecticut

1. "Equitable Use"
   
   Try to make things useful and easy to get at for people with all kinds of different abilities.
   
   
2. "Flexibility in Use"
   
   Try to give people choices in how they use things so they can pick what's best for them.
   
   
3. "Simplicity"
   
   Speaks for itself.
   
   
4. "Perceptibility"
   
   Try to get your point across in ways that won't be undercut by what's going on around you. Think about noise levels and visual clutter.
   
   
5. "Tolerance for Error"
   
   Try to show people that when you're learning something, it's really okay to make mistakes or not get things right off the bat.
   
   
6. "Low Physical Effort"
   
   If there's any way around it, try to not make people move around or use their hands.
   
   
7. "Size and Space for Approach and Use"
   
   Try to keep it easy for people to reach and handle things no matter what they can or can't do using their bodies.
   
   
8. "A Community of Learners"
   
   Try to keep people working and learning together.
   
   
9. "Instructional Climate"
   
   Try to get people to feel at home and at ease while making sure they know you expect a lot out of them.

Maybe easier to understand, but probably no less difficult to get right!

I'm starting to understand that the real power of these principles is the "universal" part. They're things that make good teaching sense no matter who you're working with, making short work of any fences there might be between "people with disabilities" and whoever that phrase happens to not include.