Universal Design Author: Laurie Vasquez Assistive Technology Specialist, DSP&S and Faculty Resource Center People commonly educate their children as they build their houses, according to some plan they think beautiful, without considering whether it is suited to the purposes for which they are designed. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Feb. 19, 1750 Introduction To think we have reached the pinnacle of all that is worth knowing is realizing we have only begun to scratch the surface. In order to reach learners of varied backgrounds, interests, abilities and levels of expertise, learning " tools" and materials must be flexible in ways that support brain systems involved in learning. Some ways to achieve this include the following approaches: Multiple representations of content, providing options to suit varied recognition systems Multiple means of expression and control, providing options to support different strategic systems Multiple options for engagement, which act upon the affective systems, providing alternative ways to attract and hold students' attention and motivating them to learn        -Anne Meyer, Ed.D., and Lucinda M. O'Neill To understand the types of students coming into our educational system, a recent report on College Freshmen with Disabilities describes first-time, full-time college freshmen who reported disabilities and were enrolled at public and private nonprofit colleges and universities in the fall of 1998. A sampling of findings contained in the report include the following: In 1978, the first year the survey included a question on disabilities, slightly less than 3 percent of freshmen reported a disability. By 1998, the percentage had more than tripled to 9 percent. This meant that one in every 11 freshmen enrolled full-time reported at least one disability. Between 1988 and 1998, the most rapidly increasing category of disability among college freshmen was "learning disability." In 1988, 15 percent of all freshmen with disabilities reported themselves to be individuals with learning disabilities. By 1998, this percentage had increased to 42 percent. Between 1988 and 1998, the percentages of students citing "partially sighted or blind" decreased from 32 to 13 percent among freshmen reporting disabilities. Up until 1998, the proportion of students with disabilities who enrolled in public two-year colleges had declined steadily, while the percentage choosing four-year colleges and universities had steadily increased. However, the recent figures indicate that there was a shift among all freshmen, regardless of disability status, toward more enrollment in community colleges in 1998. Both groups [students with disabilities and those without] were equally interested in achieving doctoral or first-professional degrees (25 percent vs. 26 percent). 1999 College Freshmen with Disabilities: A Biennial Statistical Profile (USA) from HEATH Resource Center, Washington DC Learning Objectives Lesson Goal In this lesson you will have the opportunity to explore the concept of universal design, its growing research and application for learning for all students who may pass through our community college open door system in California. Learning Objectives Faculty will identify the guiding principles of universal design. Faculty will articulate some of the benefits of Universal Design. Faculty will identify a principle that can be adapted to their own curriculum. Faculty will know where to find additional information on universal design research. Discover | Read | Explore | Apply | Measure