Accessibility & Inclusion | Instructional Design Tips | Daemen University
Why UDL and Why Now?
If you’ve been putting time and energy into learning about accessible course design lately, you’re not alone and your effort matters. Accessibility in higher education is an evolving area, and faculty across the country are working hard to understand what it means for their courses.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-backed framework developed by CAST that can help channel that effort into a sustainable approach that shifts the focus from reacting to individual issues to building flexibility into your course from the start. Every small change makes a real difference for your students today.
Think of it this way: Curb cuts were designed for wheelchair users, but they help parents with strollers, delivery workers, and cyclists too. UDL works the same way, what helps your students with disabilities helps all your students.
The Three Principles of UDL
UDL is built on three core principles, each targeting a different aspect of the learning experience:
Engagement (The WHY) — Motivate learners
- Connect to real-world relevance
- Offer student choice
- Minimize threats & distractions (e.g., offer flexible deadlines where possible, avoid high-stakes single exams)
Representation (The WHAT) — Present information accessibly
- Provide text alternatives to audio/visual
- Use captions & transcripts
- Clarify vocabulary & symbols
Action & Expression (The HOW) — Allow flexible ways to show learning
- Offer varied assignment formats (e.g., let students choose between a written paper, recorded presentation, or visual poster)
- Use multimedia submissions
- Provide assistive technology options
Not sure where to start? You don’t need to address all three principles at once. Even one small change in each area makes your course more inclusive.
UDL vs. Accommodations: What’s the Difference?
Accommodations are reactive; they’re put in place after a student discloses a disability. UDL is proactive; it reduces the need for individual accommodations by designing flexibility from the beginning.
| Accommodations | UDL |
|---|---|
| Responds to individual student needs after the fact | Builds flexibility into the course design for everyone |
| Requires formal student disclosure | No disclosure required. It helps everyone by default |
| Often places burden on the student to advocate | Shifts responsibility to course design, not the student |
UDL doesn’t replace accommodations – students who need formal accommodations still receive them. But a UDL-designed course often means fewer emergency requests, more confident students, and less rework for you.
6 Quick Wins: Where to Start in Your Course
You don’t need to redesign your entire course overnight. Start here:
| Quick Win | UDL Principle | Time Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Add image alt text in Blackboard | Representation | 5 min |
| Caption your recorded video lectures | Representation | Built into YouTube |
| Include a “Why This Matters” intro in each module | Engagement | 10 min |
| Add a brief reflection prompt at the end of a module | Engagement | 10 min |
| Offer a choice of assignment format (essay OR video) | Action & Expression | 5 min to redesign |
| Allow students to submit discussion posts as text, audio, or video | Action & Expression | 5 min to redesign |
What This Means for Daemen Faculty
Daemen University serves a diverse student population, including students who work full time, first-generation college students, students with documented and undocumented disabilities, and students who learn in many different ways. UDL reflects our mission to serve every student who walks through our doors.
Ready to Go Deeper?
- Review our Accessibility Checklist (QM Standard 8) tip for specific compliance items
- Explore the Creating Accessible Content and Record Engaging and Accessible Video Lectures tips
- Visit CAST’s UDL Guidelines for the full framework
Questions? Schedule an appointment with the Instructional Design team at we’re here to help you make it happen.