A systematic review of universal design in postsecondary education

What is it about?

In an attempt to fill the gap in the literature on the use of universal design (UD), universal design of instruction, universal design for learning and universal instructional design in postsecondary education settings, the current review builds upon systematic reviews of the use of UD in higher education.

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Why is it important?

It has been offered that UD can be used to create effective instruction to accommodate all learners. Universal design is of particular importance for students with disabilities at the postsecondary level because there is no federal mandate for postsecondary institutions to create and use curricula that are individualized for these students. Rather, students with disabilities receive the same instruction as all other students. This puts these students at a disadvantage. Although considerable research has focused on the use of UD in secondary education, UD at the postsecondary level is still a relatively new area of study and, as a result, little research can be found addressing UD implementations and strategies in postsecondary education settings. To fill this void in the literature and build upon other systematic reviews of UD in higher education, this review examined the quality of the UD principles and their effectiveness at the postsecondary level.

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