The Need for Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education for the Specially-Abled—An Essay

Educators at any grade level or subject area can apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is a set of principles for curriculum development that attempts to give all students an equal opportunity to learn. The provision of instructional alignment between objectives, instructional design, methods of delivery and assessment of learning outcomes, which could be individualized and which works for all is blueprinted in a UDL framework. The approaches and methods for instruction in UDL are adaptable and not the same for all the learners or it is not ‘one size fits all’ approach according to the National Center for Universal Design for Learning (Harper, 2018). The guiding principles of UDL include acceptance and practice of various means of equivalent representation or acquiring information, various means of equivalent expression or demonstrating the learning and various means of equivalent engagement to enhance learning. Given the multiple potentials of specially-abled (SA) students, inclusive learning through UDL provides an environment of diversity and unison. The key attempt is to provide instructional delivery of the same topic to different learners with different learning abilities and approaches in the same course, resulting in comparable outcomes. This chapter highlights the various strategies of UDL that may be extended to assist SA students’ transition through the pandemic, some of which include customizing learning contents with assured accessibility, individualizing learning goals as per student potential, flexible/customized assessments, and qualitative grading.