The Universally Designed Classroom

The Universally Designed Classroom addresses crucial questions about how to create full access to the general education curriculum for children with disabilities. Based on years of research and innovation at CAST (The Center for Applied Special Technology), the book provides a helpful overview of the digital solutions that are at the forefront of efforts to create universal access. Universal Design for Learning, or UDL--a framework for developing inclusive classroom goals, methods, technologies, and materials--stands at the vanguard of this new era of initiatives and possibilities in special education. The Universally Designed Classroom offers a concise and useful introduction to this burgeoning field, with special attention to the major policy practice issues connected to these innovations. A book for teachers, administrators, scholars, policymakers, parents, and citizens, it will be required reading for all who are committed to providing the finest education for all students.

"UDL bridges ideals and best practices to make equal education for all students a reality. The visionaries and researchers at CAST have led the charge to define UDL and deliver it into practice. Like the concept itself, this book is a single resource, one that provides access to the many facets of UDL. The variety of resources within this book informs us what UDL is, why it matters, and how to do it." -- David Scanlon, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

"Over the past decade, researchers at CAST pioneered the concept of Universal Design for Learning. The Universally Designed Classroom is a timely and comprehensive examination of the issues pertaining to UDL, from definition and conceptualization to implementation. This book is a blueprint to turn promise into reality." -- Michael L. Wehmeyer, University of Kansas, and Director, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities

"The Universally Designed Classroom provides a rich understanding of how and why all classroom instruction can be fully accessible to every child. Finally, we have a complete reference on what UDL means, why it is important, and how to use its principles in designing curriculum and instruction." -- Patti Ralabate, Senior Professional Associate for Special Needs, National Education Association

David Rose and Anne Meyer are the cofounding directors of CAST. David Rose is CAST's chief scientist for cognition and learning and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Anne Meyer is the chief officer of educational design at CAST. Chuck Hitchcock is CAST's chief of policy and technology.