What does universal design look like?

I have added a new page to the blog which will focus on resources for universal design but also examples of what it actually looks like. We often focus on the need to design lessons, classrooms, and materials which reflect universal design. yet when asked exactly what this looks like, we often find ourselves stumbling to explain. We have to be able to describe and show what UDL actually looks like. It plays out in very unique ways each time and could never and should never fall into a prescriptive format in which all we need to do is plug in some information, use some multimedia, add some hands on and we are set to go. It is much more than that, and takes time to develop and implement. There are a number of model schools out there attempting to implement this. One such school district is Chelmsford Public Schools in Massachusetts. There are three other great examples in; Baltimore County, Cecil County & Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. The Tale of Four Districts has additional resources on it beyond the videos describing the process the schools are going through. Take a look at how they have begun this process. Given the diversity of most schools, this is something that must be looked at to meet the needs of students. We have to first have a clearer vision on what it actually looks like.