Univ Access Inf Soc
DOI 10.1007/s10209-013-0332-1
LONG PAPER
Universal design for learning: enhancing achievement
and employment of STEM students with disabilities
Margaretha Vreeburg Izzo • William M. Bauer
Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Abstract This article defines universal design for learn-
ing (UDL) and presents examples of how universally
designed technology hardware and software applications
benefit students with disabilities who are majoring in sci-
ence, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)
majors. When digital technologies are developed without
incorporating accessible design features, persons with dis-
abilities cannot access required information to interact with
the information society. However, when accessible tech-
nology and instruction are provided using UDL principles,
research indicates that many students benefit with
increased achievement. Learning through universally
designed and accessible technology is essential for students
with disabilities who, without access, would not gain the
skills needed to complete their degrees and access
employment and a life of self-sufficiency. UDL strategies
enhance learning for all students, including students with
disabilities who are majoring in STEM, which are among
the most rigorous academic disciplines, but also among the
most financially rewarding careers.
Keywords Universal design for learning

Students with disabilities
Technology
Science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

Achievement
Employment
M. V. Izzo (&)
Ohio State University Nisonger Center,
1581 Dodd Dr., Columbus, OH 43210, USA
e-mail: Margo.Izzo@osumc.edu; izzo.1@osu.edu
W. M. Bauer
Marietta College, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750, USA
e-mail: bauerm@marietta.edu
1 Introduction
The accelerated pace of technological change is redefining
how universities prepare students for an information
society that requires proficiency in information and tech-
nology literacy. The emergence of digital technologies
creates new opportunities for students with disabilities to
complete quality college degree programs that prepare
them for the transition to rewarding careers as contribut-
ing members of the global community. Developing digital
technologies that are accessible provides both human and
economic benefits to persons with disabilities and the
wider society at large [1]. Students with disabilities such
as vision impairments, autism, attention-deficit/hyper-
activity disorders, or learning disabilities attend college to
gain the knowledge and skills to join the workforce within
careers of high interest and aptitude. Yet, numerous
researchers cite the gap in enrollment and persistence in
postsecondary education between students with and
without disabilities, resulting in limited opportunities for
students with disabilities to gain high-skill employment
[2, 3]. Statistics on the science and engineering workforce
show that only about 7 % of graduate students in science
and engineering are persons with disabilities [4]. Sevo [4]
observes that universities are willing to make physical
accommodations for students with disabilities, but creat-
ing a welcoming climate that extends to accessible course
management systems that provide access to readings and
quizzes has yet to follow suit. Universal design for
learning (UDL) strategies address these inequities through
the creation of accessible and student-centered learning
environments. UDL strategies enhance learning for all
students, including students with and without disabilities
who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM), which are among the most rigorous
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academic disciplines, but also among the most financially
rewarding careers.
This article defines universal design for learning (UDL),
presents examples of how universally designed technology
hardware, software, and tech applications promote increased
learning, and discusses how professors integrate UDL
strategies into college settings to enhance learning and future
employment outcomes for all students, including students
with an array of learning, attention, psychological, and
physical disabilities. The increase in the number of diverse
STEM students challenges professors to make higher edu-
cation more accessible [5]. To help address these challenges,
legislation [6], educational research, and teaching practice
[7] promote UDL as a strategy for raising academic standards
for all students, including STEM students with disabilities.
This paper discusses how universally designed teaching
practices enhance the engagement and achievement of stu-
dents with disabilities who are majoring in STEM, an
underrepresented population within the STEM disciplines.
2 UDL defined
The Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008 (HEOA)
is the first federal legislation passed in the United States to
define UDL:
Universal Design for Learning is a scientifically valid
framework for guiding educational practice that —
(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is
presented, in the ways students respond or demon-
strate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students
are engaged; and (B) reduces challenges in instruc-
tion, provides appropriate accommodations, supports,
and challenges, and maintains high achievement
expectations for all students, including students with
disabilities and students who are limited English
proficient [6].
The inclusion of UDL in the reauthorization of the
HEOA demonstrates its escalating importance. In contrast
to the adoption of universal design into architecture, UDL
concepts and practices are not broadly integrated into
policy and practice within higher education. The frame-
work of UDL consists of instructional approaches that
provide students with choices and alternatives in the
materials, content, tools, context, and supports they use.
According to Rose and Meyers [8], there are three basic
principles of UDL.
2.1 Multiple means of representation
Presenting STEM content using a variety of depictions
such as texts, articles, Web sites, pictures, graphics, and
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Univ Access Inf Soc
videos enhances achievement for students with disabilities
as long as these versions are accessible. For example,
students who are blind have difficulty with grasping
mathematics unless mathematics concepts and symbols are
presented using accessible technologies so students can
link multiple representations of concepts in meaningful
ways. Instructors who present information using multi-
modal teaching will increase the probability that students
will acquire the essential content of the course. Examples
include using a mixture of media to relay concepts such as
lectures, podcasts, texts, accessible Web resources, and
multiple versions of class notes posted to course Web sites
by students. If the course management system and course
resources are accessible, then students with print disabili-
ties can use text-to-speech software programs such as In-
ftyReader Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and
ChattyInfty apps that can read both print and mathematic
symbols [9].
2.2 Multiple means of strategic engagement
Providing numerous opportunities for STEM students to
interact with the content maximizes student learning.
Instructors who use lectures as their primary means of
delivering content risk losing their students’ attention for
many reasons. Some students who are taking notes may
miss key concepts because they fall behind in taking notes.
Other students plan on listening to the lecture, but their
minds wander off. Students learn better when they are
actively engaged by answering questions, discussing the
content, or applying what they are learning to actual
problems. STEM students must use strategic competence to
solve complex problems, which include developing action
plans, managing information, and monitoring progress
toward solving the problem. Professors who present
mathematics concepts that require students to think inde-
pendently about applications and then share these appli-
cations in small or large groups will increase student
engagement with the content [10]. Students with visual
impairments must use computers with accessible apps such
as InftyReader and ChattyInfty to aid in their comprehen-
sion of the symbols used in mathematics [9]. Increasing the
time students engage with the content by listening to a
lecture, watching a video or computer-animated demon-
stration, reading a Web site, or talking with their peers
about the content will enhance retention and, ultimately,
increase achievement.
2.3 Multiple means of expression
Some students may not be motivated to study for a test, but
are highly motivated to create a multimedia presentation
that will be posted to the class Web site to demonstrate
Univ Access Inf Soc
their knowledge of a topic. Structuring assessments so that
students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their
learning through multimedia projects, written papers, or
shorter and multiple quizzes throughout the course will
teach more in a class than if students have only one com-
prehensive examination at the end of a course. By pro-
viding students with multiple methods for expressing their
knowledge, faculty and instructors can better assess whe-
ther students have learned the essential content of a course.
The UDL framework challenges professors to rethink
the nature of their curriculum and empowers them with the
flexibility to serve a diverse population of learners [11, 12].
As professors shift their focus from teaching facts and
theories to using the knowledge that is available on the
Internet through, they can free students from the burden of
cramming knowledge into their brains in favor of using
knowledge to develop innovative solutions to authentic
problems on a local, regional, or global basis.
Worldwide economies demand that future employees
develop competence related to global and civic issues. For
example, teaching students how to integrate skills from
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will
assist future employees to better apply these skills to future
financial and economic issues that affect business and
entrepreneurial endeavors. Finally, to access the high-
technology jobs of the future, employment candidates will
need varying levels of skill in the areas of science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics [13]. Consequently,
professors must hold high academic expectations for all
students, including students with disabilities, by incorpo-
rating higher-order thinking skills into academic content
knowledge. Rapidly changing and emerging jobs, as well
as the increasing use of technology, require future workers
to use higher-order thinking skills to be flexible and
adaptable, readily learning and performing new and mod-
ified skills [14].
3 Universal design increases STEM accessibility
Designing inclusive learning environments using accessi-
ble technology creates optimal conditions for accommo-
dating the changing needs of STEM students. Courses
designed using principles of UDL and supported by uni-
versally designed technology provide students with options
to access the content multiple times in different settings
while using a variety of technology applications. With the
growth of the Internet and technological innovations, many
learning environments include computers and other devices
that help students learn more efficiently. According to
Mapou [15], computer software helps students with dis-
abilities, and other learning challenges gain access to
course content that prior to the digital age were unavailable
to learners with special needs. Students who learn in online
learning conditions perform better than those receiving
face-to-face instruction [16]. These universally designed
devices can reduce the need for formal accommodations
for STEM students with disabilities. Examples of several
different types of accessible technology are provided in the
discussion below.
3.1 iPad/iPod touch
The iPad is a tablet computer with a 9.7-inch touch screen,
virtual keyboard, digital video camera, and Internet con-
nectivity; the iPod touch is a smaller, handheld device with
similar capabilities as the iPad. More than 275,000 apps are
available for download to the iPad [17]. Apple designed
accessibility features into both of these devices. For con-
sumers with vision loss, the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
have VoiceOver technology, which will audibly speak
what is on the screen and what the user is interacting with.
For those with limited vision, the iPod touch has a color-
inverting feature to enable white text on a dark back-
ground. Also, the contents of the screen can be enlarged or
zoomed [18] (Fig. 1).
Apple has created accommodations for students who are
deaf or hard of hearing such as the ability for the students
to enable closed captioning on all Apple products. The
mono audio feature in iPads, iPhones, and iPods allows a
person who has a hearing loss in one ear to amplify the
sound more through one side of the speaker or the other.
iChat is a software application that allows the student to
use the iSight built-in camera to have face-to-face inter-
action with teachers or other Apple users. This software
makes it possible for students to be able to communicate
through sign language when not in the classroom (Fig. 2).
Several universities in the United States are providing
iPads to their college students. For example, Duke Uni-
versity loaded the iPod or iPad with course schedules and
campus tours for each incoming freshman. At Stanford
University School of Medicine, students receive an iPad
with digital versions of many of the medical textbooks to
lighten their load. The e-book reader and note-taking apps
such as Evernote and Microsoft’s OneNote produce higher-
quality notes that can be reorganized digitally, saving time,
and increasing achievement [19]. Students enrolled at the
University of Maryland in the interdisciplinary ‘‘Digital
Culture and Creativity Program’’ received iPads to work
collaboratively to explore emerging technologies through
experimental and creative projects in mobile media, sound
and music composition, augmented reality, human–com-
puter interaction, digital storytelling, and expanded cinema
[20]. The Digital Culture specialization attracts students
who are majoring in a range of disciplines from STEM to
education and the literature. The program consists of an
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Fig. 1 The different accessibility options on an Apple iPod Touch such as inverted viewing and zoom previews
Fig. 2 Snapshot of the iChat software available on Mac computers
innovative curriculum of 16 credit hours that are taught by
technologically sophisticated faculty. Students are required
to complete a final project or paper that focuses on the
issues concerning digital media and technologies or rep-
resents a major creative work using digital media and
technologies. In this information society, the reliance on
digital tools and accessibility apps is increasing opportu-
nities for persons with disabilities to gain the skills needed
to compete in the STEM workforce.
By incorporating universally designed devices and
associated apps to support instruction, professors eliminate
barriers for persons with disabilities. Examples of common
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Univ Access Inf Soc
apps developed by or used in university research projects
follow.
3.1.1 SPEAKall! Communication App
The SPEAKall! app offers a user-friendly, customizable
program that helps students with autism improve their
communication and classroom behavior skills. The
SPEAKall! app was developed by the Engineering Project
in Community Service (EPIC), a team of engineers and
undergraduate students at Purdue University in Indiana.
The app uses traditional communication aides such as a
Univ Access Inf Soc

Fig. 3 This is an image of the

SpeakAll! application that
shows how the application
allows communication through
visual and audio selections

low-tech, picture-exchange communication system in

which children trade pictures for items desired and a mid-
tech electronic device that speaks out constructed sen-
tences. Students need to drop and drag or touch images to
construct sentences that the iPad then speaks for them. This
app has been used by both elementary and high school
students with severe disabilities, including autism [21]
(Fig. 3).

3.1.2 U-LISTEN app

An application by Applied Voices LLC titled U-Listen turns

the Apple iPhone into an amplification device. The app has
a volume and clarity control along with a simple automatic
amplification adjuster. The user who is hearing impaired,
faculty or student, simply plugs in the ear buds and places
the phone in their pocket or a table in front of them (Fig. 4).

3.1.3 InftyReader

InftyReader uses an OCR engine developed by Infty to rec-

ognize mathematics and scientific formulas. Also, it can
recognize mathematics expressions embedded in tables [9].
Previous to the applications such as InftyReader, students
with visual impairments were challenged to succeed in high-
level mathematics necessary to gain STEM degrees. How-
ever, more students with print disabilities can pursue STEM
majors that are aligned with their interests and aptitudes
through the use of these accessibility tools and apps.
Fig. 4 A snapshot of the main screen of the U-Listen application
3.2 Digital pen with audio recording
The digital pen converts handwritten notes into digital
records so that students can transfer their notes to a per-
sonal computer. Once digitized, students can edit, high-
light, and review their notes as they study for tests or

123

prepare projects. Students can transfer key concepts to
PowerPointÒ or ExcelÒ documents or insert examples from
other sources such as class texts or related Web sites.
Several versions of the digital pen include audio-recording
features so that students can record class lectures and dis-
cussions and listen to the audio recording of the lecture
while they read their notes. If students miss key points,
they can make the corrections to their digital notes,
resulting in more accurate notes. Digital pens provide
opportunities for students to engage in the content using
both audio and visual supports, therefore maximizing two
learning modalities and ultimately increasing engagement
with the content, often resulting in increased achievement.
Digital pens provide a critical support for students with and
without disabilities.
3.3 Tablet PC
The Tablet PC is a portable computer with a rotating screen
locking on top of the keyboard, transforming the notebook
computer into a notepad for handwriting directly on the
screen. The active digitizer and digital ‘‘pen’’ model nat-
ural handwriting with options for pen, felt-tip marker, or
highlighting key points on the screen.
In a recent study, researchers reported that using Tablet
PCs to record STEM lectures with audio and visual dis-
plays enhanced the achievement of students with disabili-
ties [22]. This example and others are discussed to
demonstrate how technological supports increase success
of all students, including students with disabilities,
regardless of educational level or setting.
4 Incorporating UDL into college courses
Universal design for learning is a teaching approach that
ensures students with a wide range of abilities can access
course content and ultimately succeed in college. From a
neurological standpoint, students learn in different ways
regardless of their cultural, economic, or disability charac-
teristics. People process information using many strategies;
no two people have the same strengths and weaknesses in
learning styles. College students do not have one general
learning aptitude but many learning abilities; a disability or
challenge in one area may be compensated by abilities in
another [23]. Adopting flexible teaching strategies that
eliminate barriers helps meet the needs of diverse learners.
Fig. 5 This diagram illustrates
how to incorporate UDL into
college classes
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Univ Access Inf Soc
Universal design for learning integrates a variety of
strategies such as multimodal teaching, differentiated
instruction, cooperative learning, self-monitoring, embed-
ded assessment, relevant context, and demonstrated learn-
ing via multiple media. In addition, UDL integrates
accessible technology into the teaching and learning pro-
cess, thereby harnessing a set of technological innovations
such as YouTube, podcasts, iPads, and electronic voting
machines often called clickers. UDL encourages a student-
centered approach, whereby the learning environment
enhances the independence of all learners with a minimum
of retrofitting, reducing the need for individual
accommodations.
By establishing clear learning objectives of a course,
subsequent decisions about UDL approaches to be
employed become much easier (Fig. 5).
For example, if ‘‘be a responsible, scientifically literate
citizen’’ is a learning objective for a large biology course,
then teaching—and testing—the names of the stages of cell
division takes low priority. Similarly, engaging in small-
group discussions about policy options regarding breast
cancer (where some understanding of cell division applies)
takes high priority; that such discussions provide an alter-
native means for strategic engagement is even better.
Several UDL strategies are provided among specific STEM
disciplines that represent a broad range of course levels and
class sizes from 5 to 300 students.
4.1 Architecture students learn universal design
One required course for all City & Regional Planning
(C&RP) students encourages integration of information
from many disciplines, including universal design, as stu-
dents learn to incorporate different purposes and users into
a facility. C&RP classes offer multiple examples and non-
examples of factors that one must consider when planning
design requirements of facilities. Accessibility features are
discussed in groups and assessed through projects, papers,
and examinations. Because classes employ audio streaming
with visual presentation of facilities, students can view
lecture portions of classes at their convenience and use
asynchronous, threaded discussions to comment on the
accessibility of design features.
Because architecture is an applied field, C&RP faculty
also use multiple means of strategic engagement. For
example, many courses and studio classes have students
apply what they learned to solve real-world problems with
Univ Access Inf Soc
real clients. Instructors offer multiple means of expression;
for example, students select and complete four of five
potential projects as a team. The team also selects a final
project where they summarize key points of the course with
a mix of text and images. In some courses, students also
design their mid-term examination according to format
(essay, true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, or
mix of those) and weighting of multiple formats. Students
receiving time accommodations for examinations can
receive oral examinations that include nested sets of
questions according to the previous answers [24].
4.2 Professors increase student engagement
with electronic voting machines
A physics professor increases engagement of students by
using handheld electronic voting machines called clickers
to answer multiple-choice questions during lectures. The
instructor asks a sequence of questions to test students’
understanding of key concepts. The distribution of answers
chosen for each question appears, and the instructor then
leads class discussion to clarify any misconceptions. In an
experiment to test the effects of clicker technology, two
sections of the same physics class were compared: one
class used the voting machines followed by a discussion of
the questions asked during voting and the other class did
not. No statistical differences on pretest measures of stu-
dents’ knowledge of physics concepts existed between the
two treatments. Students who used the clickers earned final
examination scores approximately 10 % higher—the
equivalent of a full-letter grade—than those of students
who participated in a traditional physics lecture [25]
(Fig. 6).
Students reported that using voting machines helped
them learn. These data could not be disaggregated by
diversity due to inadequate power within ethnic and
Fig. 6 The figure shows With Voting Machines
statistics taken from ‘‘Testing a
new voting machine question 20
methodology’’ that illustrates
when using a voting machine,
the students score gain from 15
pretest to posttest was greater
than the gain of sections without
voting machines 10
5 5
0 0
Fall Winter
Pre-Test
disability categories. Students with visual or hearing
impairments in classes using voting machines will require
appropriate accommodations, for example, questions in
accessible formats for students with visual impairments
and interpreter services for students with hearing
impairments.
The clicker-use data above were also analyzed for
gender differences. In traditional physics classes, male
students outperform female students. However, in clicker
classes, the performance of male and female students was
not significantly different, suggesting that clickers and
class discussions improve the performance of female stu-
dents. Such methods may increase the performance of
women in challenging courses and could encourage more
women to pursue STEM disciplines.
4.3 Professors create multiple assessment opportunities
The multiple methods of representation and engagement
inherent in UDL provide the breaks that punctuate an
otherwise-long lecture. Students work in cooperative
groups, at least once each class period, where each group
must provide responses to questions from the current lec-
ture topic, such as, ‘‘Should our state screen for more
genetically based birth defects, even though this is
expensive?’’ Groups are called upon randomly to report
their thoughts; subsequent groups are called on to add
comments. All groups submit their answers at the end of
each class period for credit.
Many professors recognize that performing well on an
examination within some arbitrary period is not consistent
with their stated learning objectives. This can place the
instructor in a quandary: Why are there time limits on my
examinations? UDL suggests that unlimited-time examin-
ations will meet the needs of the students with disabilities
and all other students who may benefit. We found that the
Without Voting Machines
20
15
10
Spring Fall Winter Spring
Post-Test Gain Pre-Test Post-Test Gain
123

major benefit of this unlimited-time policy is reduced
apprehension among some students. In fact, very few stu-
dents take more time on examinations; the major excep-
tions include foreign students using dictionaries, and we
accommodate their needs by ‘‘assigning’’ a teaching asso-
ciate (TA) to proctor the examination, just as with time-
limited examinations. Another UDL strategy for adminis-
tering examinations that reduces anxiety and increases
opportunity for students to demonstrate what they know is
to permit each student to bring one page of notes to
examinations. This has the added benefit of helping some
students organize the material covered on a particular
examination. In practice, we have also found that permit-
ting such notes helps students appreciate that the instructor
will make good on a promise to not produce a ‘‘memory
examination.’’
Universal design for learning principles can be liberat-
ing for faculty members. For example, the objectives for
science courses at most universities include expectations
for students to recognize connections between science and
political issues such as global warming or stem cell
research, to appreciate the history of science, and (often) to
recognize ethical implications of scientific applications in
society today. These topics are difficult enough to teach,
much less assess in students. Standard testing methods do
not lend themselves easily to such topics, no matter the
student. The multiple means of student expressions inher-
ent in UDL guidelines provide a solution. For example, one
professor required students to prepare policy statements on
issues such as global warming that included sufficient
biology to justify the proposed policies and the discussions
of societal impacts and ethical implications, to meet the
underlying course goals [24].
4.4 Professors integrate projects related to students’
career pathways into courses
Teaching academic content authentically will enhance
relevance by helping students relate the content to present
and future uses, especially within the context of careers.
When professors provide students with instructions and
experience in applying academic skills to their chosen
careers, they are assisting students to connect needed
academic skills to career areas. This will assist students to
set realistic goals and clarify their career plans. Izzo and
Lamb [26] recommend that educators integrate theoretical
learning with applied, experiential learning, therefore
connecting school- and work-based learning. At the sec-
ondary level, these connections have a positive impact on
students’ self-determination and transition skills as evi-
denced by increased motivation, persistence, and decision
making among students enrolled in high schools [27].
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4.5 Professors utilize media and technology to provide
multiple representations of concepts
Numerous professors and researchers are calling for an
increase in the development and use of accessible elec-
tronic texts, online curricula, and digitized resources to
improve access to, and achievement of key concepts [8, 27,
28]. Providing multiple representations of key concepts by
sharing the concept via several e-texts, videos, Web sites,
and other digitized resources increases the opportunities for
students to view and interact with the concepts. In addition,
using information, media and technology serve as powerful
accommodations that compensate for deficits in reading,
writing, and information processing skills [29]. Students
with disabilities who use assistive technology such as text
to speech, organizational software, and voice-recognition
applications are able to read information, organize, and
write their thoughts more clearly [30, 31]. Izzo et al. [32]
reported that text to speech improved secondary students’
quiz performance in an online curriculum. Boone et al. [33]
recommended using computer technology to provide sim-
ulated life situations by incorporating photographs depict-
ing actual scenarios, as well as an interactive format that
provides content and feedback to students.
Students must become proficient in using various
information, media, and technology tools to gain and
maintain employment settings [34]. Numerous businesses
accept online job applications and deliver required train-
ings via password-protected Internet sites or computer
skills that are essential to gaining and maintaining
employment.
4.6 Professors reinforce the development
of self-determination skills
University programs that assist their students to develop
self-determination skills are preparing their students for
twenty-first century jobs. At the core, self-determination
skills build on self-knowledge and awareness, to create a
person who exhibits a culturally appropriate degree of
autonomy by being self-directed, self-regulated, and self-
efficacious [35]. The degree to which an individual engages
in self-determined behavior is shaped by the learning and
development of that person, and the opportunities, sup-
ports, and accommodations available to that individual
[36].
Self-determined behavior related to college and career
success requires adults to have knowledge of their own
interests, skills and needs, job types and their associated
requirements, and the resources available to them (e.g.,
training opportunities, college programs, and legal rights).
Goal setting and attainment combine and apply knowledge
Univ Access Inf Soc
in these areas as the individual works toward his/her
desired employment outcomes. Embedded in the planning
and execution processes are skills related to choice making,
problem-solving, decision making, self-regulation, and
self-advocacy or leadership [37]. Additionally, individuals
must consider the risks and benefits of various courses of
actions as they make and enact decisions [38]. Ultimately,
self-determination skills help employees enhance their own
productivity and may drive their own continued learning.
Personal values such as respect, responsibility, perse-
verance, integrity, ethics, and commitment are critical
employment skills. To ensure that future employees
develop the values, flexibility, and self-direction skills
needed to survive and prosper in twenty-first century jobs,
they must be given opportunities to learn and practice
increasing levels of autonomy. Personal values are also
entwined with accessing and using media, information, and
technology during and after work. With increasing access
to information and dissemination tools, future employees
need to understand the associated legal, ethical, and pri-
vacy issues and engage in access and use behaviors that
reflect their understanding of these issues.
5 Incorporating UDL into University Administrative
Structures
Professors cannot be solely responsible for teaching stu-
dents with disabilities the skills needed to become con-
tributing members of the twenty-first century. The
university at large must have policies and support services
in place to assure that students with disabilities have access
to the same supports that their peers without disabilities
gain. For example, enforcing policies that require that all
university Web sites and offices are accessible, and pro-
viding career guidance and placement services that are
available to all students, will support students in both
gaining a quality college education and transitioning to a
twenty-first century workforce. By incorporating UDL
features into these university structures, all students will
benefit.
5.1 Assure that Web sites and university support
services are welcoming and accessible
Recently, at a university within the United States, a student
who is blind applied for employment only to find that the
online job application was not accessible. Although the
Human Resource office provided support to this person,
applicants who need these supports must visit the
employment office to gain the needed accommodations.
When universities create accessible application Web sites,
applicants with disabilities can choose when to disclose
their disability instead of needing to disclose to gain
accommodations during the application process. Once
hired, this employee was required to develop the annual
performance review plan that identified annual goals and
benchmarks to serve as the basis for the performance
reviews and annual salary increases. Again, the online
performance review system was not created in an acces-
sible format. These are just a few examples of poorly
designed Web sites that persons with disabilities encounter.
If universal design principles guided the development of
these services, the barriers that people with disabilities
encounter would be minimized. Course learning manage-
ment systems, admissions, registration, information tech-
nology, and employment offices are just a few of the many
university program structures that must be universally
designed to be welcoming and accessible.
An obvious strategy to creating a welcoming climate for
applicants and students with disabilities is to hire people
with disabilities at all levels of university systems includ-
ing administrators, professors, and office support staff. By
modeling affirmative-action hiring practices, the university
avoids making blatant mistakes such as designing inac-
cessible applications and personnel performance review
systems. In addition, many faculty and co-workers express
discomfort when asked about interacting with people with
disabilities. The root of this discomfort is often fear of not
knowing how to interact or provide natural supports to
persons with disabilities. This fear is often reduced or
eliminated totally once a relationship is built among people
with and without disabilities. Creating an open working
relationship where colleagues are open about both
requesting and providing natural supports enhances the
overall climate for both staff and students.
Many universities and colleges have employment ser-
vices that assist students to find internships and work
experiences that balance their academic knowledge and
skills with actual employment experiences. Providing ori-
entation to the personnel who work in these offices on
disability and accessibility is essential so that they are
aware of common characteristics and accommodations of
specific disabilities. The highest-rated orientation programs
involve persons with disabilities who explain their needs in
the context of the university environment. This not only
enhances the students’ ability to disclose and explain
required accommodations, but also faculty and staff who
participate in these orientation programs gain competence
in providing both accommodations and natural supports.
5.2 Assist students to gain work experience through
class projects and internships
Work experience is defined as performing occupational
tasks with supervision for a defined period and may include
123

Fig. 7 Some of the benefits of students gaining work experience
through assistance by professors
unpaid or paid community jobs, service learning, intern-
ships, apprenticeships, or work-based training. The purpose
of these experiences is to provide students with the infor-
mation about themselves and potential jobs that they need
to make career choices. These experiences also help stu-
dents refine skills, attitudes and values, career-planning,
and job-seeking skills. Regardless of the form they take,
throughout these experiences, professors need to assist
students in considering how their evolving interests and
abilities match targeted work environments or occupational
clusters. These experiences also help students develop
work histories that can be used in career portfolios and
résumés, as well as provide sources for recommendations
and potential job leads (Fig. 7).
Early employment-related experiences gained within the
university setting may be unpaid service learning within a
professor’s research program that is completed as part of a
course requirement. However, later experiences should
include paid jobs because paid employment during college,
including summer jobs, improves employment outcomes.
Determining when to move from unpaid and/or unstruc-
tured experiences to paid employment is a decision that
should be made in conjunction with the individual student,
her/his family, and university professors and staff. Most but
not all work experience programs include opportunities to
learn, practice, and refine actual job skills in several uni-
versity or community-based settings.
Work experiences should reflect the students’ changing
interests and needs, taking into consideration the students’
learning needs; moving from helping students learn to
123
Univ Access Inf Soc
adjust to work-related settings to assisting them in devel-
oping job-seeking skills should be sequentially planned.
Along the way, information gained from these job expe-
riences should be used to shape the selection of subsequent
work experiences as well as identify additional career
exploration needs, highlighting the aspects of jobs that
appeal to the students, and those aspects that are unwanted
in future employment. Work experiences should culminate
in helping students identify a career path and develop a
plan to attain employment in that career path and/or obtain
their first employment position after graduation.
6 Conclusion: UDL contributes to an information
society
Political and business leaders are recognizing that utilizing
the potential of all people is every bit as important as wise use
of other natural resources such as land or oil. Universal design
for learning contributes to the information society by
improving accessibility, so that students with disabilities can
access the rigorous content delivered within STEM majors
and transition to the STEM workforce. All students must
engage in rigorous and relevant academic content that
translates into student readiness to succeed in a knowledge-
based, high-tech, global economy. Professors are attuned to
the need for greater flexibility in instructional design while
maintaining high standards to teach both STEM and non-
STEM students with and without disabilities. Universal
design offers a promising approach to meeting the learning
needs of all students by designing both hardware and software
applications with accessibility in mind prior to development,
not as an afterthought. The UDL framework challenges
educators to rethink the nature of their curriculum and
empowers them with the flexibility to serve a diverse popu-
lation of learners. Researchers must further develop and
validate universal design principles and strategies across
contexts and constituencies, so that more students with
diverse backgrounds continue to access and succeed in col-
lege and gain the skills needed to join the STEM workforce.
Administrators and professors must ensure access to aca-
demic settings to assure that students emerge with the critical-
thinking, real-world applications, and contemporary tools to
make significant contributions to our global community.
Acknowledgments The content of this paper was funded in part by
NSF Award number HRD-0833561 and US Department of Education,
Office of Postsecondary Education Award number GRT00021456.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed
in this chapter are those of the author and do not reflect those of the
National Science Foundation or US Department of Education. Por-
tions of this article were adapted from a paper entitled ‘‘Universal
Design for Learning: Enhancing Achievement of Students with Dis-
abilities’’ presented at DSAI 2012, the 4th International Conference
on Software Development for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting
Univ Access Inf Soc
Info-exclusion and from the following two chapters: (a) Hanley-
Maxwell and Izzo [38] and (b) Izzo et al. [24]. The authors wish to
thank Vicki Graff and Madison Bauer for their editorial and for-
matting assistance.
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