Harvard Education Press

The Universally Designed Classroom
Accessible Curriculum and Digital Technologies

Edited by David H. Rose, Anne Meyer, and Chuck Hitchcock

The Universally Designed Classroom addresses crucial questions about how to create full access to the general education curriculum for children with disabilities. Based on years of research and innovation at CAST (The Center for Applied Special Technology), the book provides a helpful overview of the digital solutions that are at the forefront of efforts to create universal access. It also looks closely at the major policy and practice issues connected to this initiative.

The book appears at a pivotal moment in special education policy and practice. The recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), together with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and a general trend toward more inclusive education policies, has laid the groundwork for fully addressing the educational needs and abilities of children with disabilities of many kinds. Complementing these legal and social trends are remarkable new technologies designed to facilitate the education of those same children. Universal Design for Learning, or UDL--a network of methods, technologies, and materials developed at CAST--stands at the vanguard of this new era of initiatives and possibilities in special education.

The Universally Designed Classroom offers a concise and useful introduction to this burgeoning field. A book for teachers, administrators, scholars, policymakers, parents, and citizens, it will be required reading for all who are committed to providing the finest education for all students.

Praise:

“UDL bridges ideals and best practices to make equal education for all students a reality. The visionaries and researchers at CAST have led the charge to define UDL and deliver it into practice. Like the concept itself, this book is a single resource, one that provides access to the many facets of UDL. The variety of resources within this book informs us what UDL is, why it matters, and how to do it.”
—David Scanlon, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

“Over the past decade, researchers at CAST pioneered the concept of Universal Design for Learning. The Universally Designed Classroom is a timely and comprehensive examination of the issues pertaining to UDL, from definition and conceptualization to implementation. This book is a blueprint to turn promise into reality.”
—Michael L. Wehmeyer, University of Kansas, and Director, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities

“The Universally Designed Classroom provides a rich understanding of how and why all classroom instruction can be fully accessible to every child. Finally, we have a complete reference on what UDL means, why it is important, and how to use its principles in designing curriculum and instruction.”
—Patti Ralabate, Senior Professional Associate for Special Needs, National Education Association

Highlights from Inside:

• Technology and Disability in Education Reform
• Equal Access, Participation, and Progress in the General Education Curriculum
• What IDEA and NCLB Suggest about Curriculum Access for Students with Disabilities
• Teacher Planning for Accessibility
• Teaching for Accessibility
• Universal Design for Learning Implementation

Contributors:

Tracey Hall, Kelly Harper, Chuck Hitchcock, Janna Jackson, Richard Jackson, Joanne Karger, Anne Meyer, David H. Rose, Nicole Strangman

About the Editors:

David H. Rose and Anne Meyer are the cofounding directors of CAST. David Rose is CAST's chief scientist for cognition and learning. Anne Meyer is the chief officer of educational design at CAST. Chuck Hitchcock is the chief of policy and technology at CAST.