Universal Design

To consider the widest array of users is to understand the diversity of cognitive profiles and how each learner is unique in how one receives, perceives, processes, and produces information. One shortcut towards ensuring that your course is accessible by all learners is to design with the extreme ends of the user continuum in mind. SAS recommends learning about accessible and usable design practices, perhaps by starting with Microsoft Office tutorials, and employing and highlighting the use of accessible materials in your courses and other work.

The Accessible Dartmouth Iniative is a pilot program that seeks to build cohorts of faculty implementing UDL into their courses, and, in so doing, better meet the needs of all students. To further these goals, stipends will be awarded to encourage engagement with UDL institutes and other trainings that support the development and implementation of UDL in Dartmouth undergraduate courses. For details, please visit DCAL's Accessible Dartmouth Initiative webpage. To view relevant events, visit DCAL's events page.

If you would like to learn more about Universal Design for Learning/Instruction and the cognitive and learning research behind its principles and practices, there are many helpful resources:

• The Center for Universal Design in Education (University of Washington and the DO•IT Program)
• The Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability (University of Connecticut and the Neag School of Education)
• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
• National Center on Universal Design for Learning (Part of the CAST organization)
• UDL-Universe: A Comprehensive Universal Design for Learning Faculty Development Guide (California State University).
• The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials - Learn the basics of accessible educational materials, register for and view webinars and presentations from our AEM Events, and discover AEM Publications to dive deeper into AEM.
• WebAim (Web Accessibility in Mind) - Watch training videos, use accessibility checklists, and website accessibility evaluation tools.
• Course Accessibility Checklist