Universal Design in Instruction

World Usability Day New England

While its intuitive appeal remains strong, the adoption of universal design is often thwarted by challenges common to postsecondary classrooms. This presentation will engage participants in building awareness of universal design (UD) and the promise and challenges of implementation through interactive role playing by the presenters. Principles of universal design will be presented as point-counterpoint for discussion and debate, as participants realize the advantages and concerns surrounding UD implementation from an individual, as well as, an institutional perspective. Manju Banerjee is assistant professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. She is a research and education consultant for the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, and has over 20 years experience in the field of learning and other disabilities. She is the former Director of Disability Services at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Manju is a certified diagnostician and teacher-consultant for learning disabilities. She has worked as a postsecondary disability service provider, vocational rehabilitation counselor, faculty member, and researcher for many years. Manju has published and presented both nationally and internationally on topics including disability documentation and assessment, technology mediated learning, and universal design in instruction. Her areas of research include technological competencies for college students with learning disabilities and universal design in high stakes assessment. Loring C. Brinckerhoff, Ph.D. is Director of the Office of Disability Policy at Educational Testing Service (ETS). He also serves as a higher education and disability consultant to Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) and Harvard Medical School. He received his doctorate in learning disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is past-president of the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and former secretary of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. Area of expertise: Transition from high school to post-secondary education for students with learning disabilities; high stakes testing and accommodations; gifted adults with disabilities.