This panel will discuss a pilot project led by Northwestern University’s AccessibleNU to help instructors more fully serve all of their students by incorporating aspects of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the classroom. The overarching goal of AccessibleNU’s UDL project was to help instructors reduce barriers to learning by incorporating supports for students with disabilities directly into the class environment, materials, and exams. As the participants discovered, incorporating these supports through UDL as opposed to individual accommodations ultimately benefits all students. Faculty and staff panelists will discuss what they learned, how they applied it in their class, and the effect that it had on their entire classroom population. Session attendees will learn the basic concepts of UDL. They will also learn how to build accommodations into courses and improve learning opportunities for all students by applying different aspects of UDL to their overall approach in lecture-based, experience-based, and online classes. Panelists sharing direct experiences will provide examples of varied approaches and successful blueprints that participants can follow in order to begin implementing UDL in their own classes.
