ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concepts of Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Derived from the fields of architecture and product design, the philosophy of UD is to design products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible, regardless of the user’s age, ability, or status in life. By extension, UDL has seen these principles developed for application to the learning environment – from lesson planning and assessment to the development of communities of practice. We argue that while many practitioners are already implementing some aspects of their practice that could be considered as UDL, this has probably been by accident rather than by design.
With an understanding that “inclusion is everyone’s business”, we encourage you to consider how you might develop and implement positive psychology approaches that can be accessed and engaged with by the largest amount of people from the “get-go” – by interpreting and encompassing UD thinking in all aspects of your work – from inception, through development, to implementation and review.
