The Accessible Learning Experience, S03 E10: Get Ready for UDL Guidelines 3.0

Main ideas, concepts, and lessons

• Purpose of the episode

  • Introduces the updated Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines 3.0 and explains why the update matters for making learning more accessible and equitable.
  • Frames UDL as a long-term framework that helps educators design instruction so it works for everyone.

• UDL’s foundation

  • Accessibility is foundational to UDL.
  • UDL remains grounded in neuroscience about how people learn.
  • A core UDL principle is that “a difference is not a deficit” and barriers arise from the environment, not the learner.

• Why update UDL guidelines and why now

  • CAST views the guidelines as a “living and dynamic tool” (originally launched with an intent to iteratively improve over time).
  • There has been increasing demand to apply a stronger equity lens so the guidelines better support designing more equitable and inclusive learning environments.
  • The update responds to calls from practitioners and researchers for expanded guidance to support more learners and more educators.

• Transparency and community-driven process

  • The update process is described as community-driven and two-way:
    • Practitioners’ feedback informs the changes.
    • Feedback is handled through a structured public process (sharing drafts, public comments).
  • The process includes:
    • Sharing proposed drafts publicly
    • Soliciting feedback (public comment)
    • Reviewing and coding feedback to identify themes/patterns
    • Explaining the rationale for each change and grounding decisions in research

• What stays the same

  • Neuroscience foundation remains intact, including added research connections/examples in the new version.
  • Valuing variability remains central:
    • Learner variability is critical.
    • Barriers and conflicts are created by environments.
    • Designing for learners who are likely to be marginalized improves outcomes for everyone.

• Major preview changes in UDL Guidelines 3.0

  • Identity becomes a more explicit part of variability
    • The “who” was previously less emphasized.
    • The update aims to strengthen the focus on learner identity within engagement/representation design.
  • More explicit acknowledgment of biases
    • Individual, institutional, and systemic biases are described as needing to be directly addressed in teaching/learning.
  • Emphasis on interdependence and collective learning
    • The update seeks to make more visible the importance of learning from one another.
    • It challenges the idea that independence alone is the universal ideal, arguing that valued learning involves mutual support.
  • Representation expands beyond format
    • Representation is not only about using multiple formats; it includes whether learners can see themselves in the curriculum.
    • Uses the concept of “mirrors, windows, and sliding doors”:
      • Mirrors: seeing oneself authentically in learning materials
      • Windows: learning about others’ experiences
      • Sliding doors: access to broader dreams/possibilities through multiple supports

• Practical supports and rollout timeline

  • March: public draft shared
  • Until April 15: public comment period via surveys
  • Feedback is coded/processed into themes and paired with research to revise the draft
  • July: Guidelines 3.0 launch at UDL Con in Sacramento
  • After launch (for fall listeners), resources are expected to be available, including an ePub describing each guideline and related checkpoints/considerations, plus supporting research.

• Tools/resources for implementation

  • A set of online modules (rollout support) is described as:
    • “Come in, explore, reflect, discuss with one another”
  • Focuses on pre-implementation mindset and practice topics such as:
    • Learner identity
    • Bias awareness in professional practice
    • Interdependence
    • Joy and play in learning (with resources if people have questions)

• UDL as a broader accessibility approach

  • UDL is presented as applicable beyond classrooms:
    • Any space/experience, including websites, enrollment programs, and community participation.
  • The core mindset shift is empathy for others and designing beyond one’s own preferences.

• Closing themes

  • Emphasizes gratitude for a long, collaborative process and the value of seeing disability identity represented in the guidelines.
  • Reinforces that learning and improvement are ongoing (a “journey,” not arrival).

Methodology / process and instruction-style details (structured)

• Community-driven guideline revision process

  • Share public draft (announced as released in March)
  • Collect feedback through:
    • Public comment period
    • Surveys available until April 15
  • Process feedback systematically:
    • Review every submission
    • Code feedback
    • Identify themes and patterns
    • Use these themes alongside ongoing research review to revise the guidelines
  • Publish final version with added support:
    • Include research grounding (articles/examples) demonstrating equity considerations remain linked to neuroscience
    • Provide rationale for every single change

• Implementation support strategy (for practitioners)

  • Provide an ePub at/around July launch including:
    • Description of each guideline
    • Checkpoints/considerations for each guideline
    • Research backing and exploration pathways
  • Provide online pre-work modules to prepare practitioners to implement the updates effectively:
    • Explore identity and bias
    • Reflect on professional practice
    • Discuss interdependence and collaboration in learning
    • Address conceptual questions like joy and play in learning

Speakers / sources featured (identified)

• Luis (host; asks guests questions and provides framing)
• Jenna Gravel (guest; from CAST)
• Nicole Tucker-Smith (guest; CEO/founder of Lessoncast mentioned; involved in UDL guidelines process)
• CAST (organizational source of UDL guidelines and the episode’s hosting context: National Center on Accessible Educational Materials at CAST)
• U.S. Department of Education (mentioned in the funding/disclaimer at the end)