Transcript Document

Universal
Design
Stephanie Roberts
Lead Instructional Designer
National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities
University of Northern Colorado
Definition: Universal Design
• The design of products, environments and
communication to be usable by all people to the
greatest extent possible
• Also called “design-for-all” or “lifespan design”
• NOT the same as accessibility
(Fletcher, 2002; Mace, Hardie & Plaice, 1991; Osborne, 2002; Welch, 2002)
VERY Brief History
1950s
1970s
1980s
“Barrier-free
design” – idea
first emerges
expanded to idea
of normalization
and integration
Europe, Japan
and US
Disability rights
movement –
political strength
Nation-wide
communities
formed (strength
in numbers and
voice) defying
dichotomous
mentality (usthem)
Emphasis on
removing
obstacles for
people with
physical
disabilities
US architect
Michael Bednar –
everyone’s
functional capacity
enhanced when
environmental
barriers are
removed
1987
World Design
Congress –
resolution that
designers should
factor disability &
aging into designs
(professional
strength)
Ron Mace, US
architect – first
coined the term
universal design
(trying to
differentiate from
accessible design)
1990s
ADA signed into
law – legal
strength
Other fields begin
adopting notion of
universal design
Section 508
added in 1998 (to
Rehabilitation Act)
7 General Principles
1. Equitable Use
2. Flexibility in Use
3. Simple, Intuitive Use
4. Perceptible Information
Photos from Center for Universal
Design website:
www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/
princ_overview.htm
5. Tolerance for Error
6. Low Physical Effort
7. Size and Space for Approach & Use
Basic Premises
• Varying ability is not a special condition of the few but
a common characteristic of being human and we
change physically and intellectually throughout our
lives;
• If a design works well for people with disabilities, it
works better for everyone;
• At any point in our lives, personal self-esteem,
identity and well-being are deeply affected by our
ability to function in our physical surroundings with a
sense of comfort, independence and control
(Weisman, 1999);
• Usability and aesthetics are mutually compatible.
(Taken directly from Adaptive Environments’ website: www.adaptenv.org)
Universal Design for Learning
• What’s the Difference?
– Same philosophy and premises, just different
translations into practice (versus architectural or
device design)
Curriculum
Environment
• Pivots around the definition of “learner”
– Mean definition vs. plural definition
– ID: Learner Analysis
Materials
– Expanded perspectives (adult learning, ethnicity,
language, functional ability, life experiences and
background, etc.)
UDL: Fundamental Premise
• Improves learning outcomes and
learning environment for ALL learners:
“if it works well for people with
functional limitations, it works better
for everyone” (Fletcher, 2002)
BREAK!!!
(5-10 minutes)
UDL: 7 Principles for Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Inclusiveness
Geez, she sounds like …
Physical Access
Differentiated
Reigeluth
Constructivism
back
Delivery Methods
Instruction
in
1994
Information Access
Interaction
Feedback
Demonstration of Knowledge
Translation of the Principles
• The 7 instructional principles really are basic
elements of good teaching/instructional design
• Best solutions stem from a philosophy or
perspectives
– student-centered approach
– Democratization of values  more pluralistic
definition of good design and of audience
• Multi-modal Implementations
Accessibility
• The two concepts are NOT
interchangeable
• Captures the “tails of the curve”
• Accommodations and adaptations
– Devices, alternative formats such as
Braille, interpreter or note-taker in
classroom, etc.
Online Environments
• Online Courses
– Accessibility (next session!!)
– Avoiding content dumps: narrated PowerPoint does
NOT a good online course make
– Flexibility in materials delivered
• audio version, text version or description, etc.
– Flexibility in assessment
• Different types of final projects, essay and objective, etc.
– Can augment a face-to-face class to make it
universally accessible
• E.g. handouts, notes, assignments available online in
advance
Online Environments
• Interfaces and Materials
– Example: Blackboard – can change color scheme of
menu (limitation: cannot change main content screen)
– PDFs
• Most are inaccessible because they’re scanned as graphics –
this ALSO makes the file size HUGE which makes them
bothersome for ALL students to download
• SHOULD be text (OCR) scanned – push online publishing
toward this (can still maintain security through security
settings) – yields MUCH smaller file sizes for everyone
– Post files in RTF when possible so students can
modify size/color as needed
Additional General Resources for
Universal Design
• Resources
– Center for Universal Design:
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
– CAST: http://www.cast.org
• Also, see Teaching Every Student:
http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/
– Trace Center: http://trace.wisc.edu/world/
Additional General Resources for
UDL & Accessibility
• Resources
– Accessibility Tutorial (NCLID):
http://vision.unco.edu/AccessibleDesign/
(beginning sections more basic)
– Adaptive Environments:
http://www.adaptenv.org/universal/index.php
– Universal Design Education Online:
http://www.udeducation.org/res_mat/index.asp
Thank You
Stephanie Roberts
[email protected]
National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities
University of Northern Colorado