AT and UDL: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning:Two Sides of the Same Coin

David H. Rose,Ted S. Hasselbring, Skip Stahl, and Joy Zabala

This article discusses the relationship between these two concepts.  Assistive technology, on the one hand, is designed for individuals.  Whether it is a pencil grip, a wheelchair or a particular text-to-speech solution, AT begins with an assessment of an individual's particular difficulties and needs.  Universal Design, on the other hand, is concerned with all users.  It is a global application of accessibility features right from the beginning, like buildings with wheelchair ramps, or classrooms with LCD projectors to allow projection of videos.

What the authors point out is that one cannot work without the other.  Assistive Technology without Universal Design would be like having a wheelchair, but no wheelchair ramps.  Universal Design without Assistive Technology would be like having wheelchair ramps on every corner but no wheelchair to fit the individual who needs it.  In the field of education, Assistive Technology needs to intersect with the curriculum at the point which provides the simplest, most cost-effective solution, and which reaches the largest number of learners.  While there will always be a need for very particular and expensive devices designed specifically for severely disabled individuals, there is also a real need to move the whole curriculum towards greater accessibility for all.

 What is interesting is that when you design for special needs, the whole population benefits.  Wheelchair ramps are used by parents with strollers, the elderly with walkers and commuters on bicycles as much as they are used by people in wheelchairs.  And so in the classroom, having multiple means of representation, presentation and engagement can benefit  students with attention difficulties, ESL students, and any students whose preferential learning styles are not print-based.

The authors go on to discuss changes in copyright legislation that are making it easier for publishers to produce digital texts.  I have no doubt that the the very near future will see all textbooks digitized, with accessibility features - video options, text-to-speech options, touch screen features - designed into them from the very start.

THOUGHTS

I think that there has been general trend towards Universal Design for Learning in our schools over the past few years, without necessarily giving a name to it.  We all pair written and verbal explanations with visuals; we all show videos of concepts we wish to teach, and use our interactive Smartboards to provide greater engagement.  We have moved towards the use of many more varied means for students to show their knowledge, from designing posters, making sketches and videos, to participating in group discussions.  When UDL is paired with AT, however, it opens up whole new possibilities for enriching the classroom environment, not just for whole-class instruction, but for the students' silent reading time, writing time and research time, to name a few.

 

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