Applying Universal Design for Instruction Joan Wolforth, McGill University Gladys Loewen, Assistive Technology- BC

History of Disability Society has looked at people with disabilities in different ways at different times in history Beliefs and attitudes towards those who have a disability have resulted in different outcomes for them

History of Disability 19th century attitudes arose from the acceptance of science and medicine as the drivers of society’s attitudes Galton and Social Darwinism which distorted the notion of the survival of the fittest into the ultimate goals of the eugenics movement

History of |Disability Eugenics strove for the perfection of the Human Race by restricting the reproduction of “elements” considered abnormal Common viewpoint until mid 20th century even in Canada Sterilization of sections of population etc

History of Disability Medical Model of disability developed Emphasized what was wrong/abnormal with the person What the person could not do Separate education, employment, living situations Exclusion from society

History of Disability 1960’s Rights movements began to develop In Britain theorists began to challenge the medical model and the exclusion of the disabled community North American groups were inspired by the Civil Rights movement in the U.S.

History of Disability Social model of Disability promoted Major proponent Mike Oliver (1990) Marxist model changed the paradigm Society not adapted to people with disabilities. Limitations not within person but within environment designed by an “ablest” society

WHO Categories International Classification of Function, Disability and Health Attitudes & Beliefs Natural and Built Environments Products & Technology Services, Systems, and Policies Relationship & Supports

Medical Model Disability is a deficiency or abnormality Being disabled is negative Disability resides in the individual Interactional Model Disability is a difference. Being disabled, in itself, is neutral Disability derives from interaction between individual and society

Agent of remedy is the professional Interactional Model Medical Model Remedy for disability-related problems is cure or normalization of the individual Agent of remedy is the professional Carol Gill, Chicago Institute on Disability Research Interactional Model Remedy for disability-related problems is a change in the interaction between individual and society Agent of remedy-individual, advocate, or anyone who affects arrangement between individual and society

Oliver’s Survey (1990) Can you say what is wrong with you? Can you say what is wrong with society?

Oliver’s Survey What complaint causes your difficulty in holding, gripping or turning things? What defects in the design of everyday equipment such as jars and bottles causes you difficulty in holding turning or gripping them?

Oliver’s Survey How difficult is it for you to get about your immediate neighbourhood on your own? What are the environmental constraints which make it difficult for you to get about in your immediate neighbourhood?

Oliver’s Survey Does your disability make it difficult for you to travel by bus? Do poorly designed buses make it difficult for someone with your disability to use them?

Oliver’s Survey Did you move here because of your disability problem? What inadequacies in your housing caused you to move here?

Universal Design Paradigm shift from designing special facilities to building for inclusion Initially an idea that developed in Architecture Flat entrances, good levels of light, clear contrast signage, adequate space allocations, good acoustics

Educational Design Preparation of curricula, instructional materials, and evaluation methods which can be used easily with a wide variety of students Service Delivery from a universal design perspective

Principle 1: Equitable Use Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not. Acceptable Entrance is the same for all users, there is a power door but it is identical in design to the other doors; not segregated Zero step entrance allows everyone to access the front doors Door handles that can be grabbed onto fairly easily Unacceptable Designing a building in a location with lots of stairs makes it difficult to be useable by most people. Unnecessary segregation by providing a separate entrance area for the physically disabled is not acceptable. Designed must anticipate the effect on weather; they must consider that an outdoor elevator might be out of service at times due to the amount of rain, snow, etc. Designers must take into account the location of accessible parking in relationship to where people might be heading. Designing a building more complex than it need be creates a problem for many people to access it.

Principle 2: Flexibility in Use Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Acceptable: TTY Phone A TTY is a device that can send text over a phone line to another TTY (It is that box that is underneath the phone). It can be pulled out and used as a keypad In this way it can be beneficial for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired Also, this phone has a volume control button that can make the phone louder for those who are hard of hearing or trying to call someone in a noisy environment Unacceptable: Phone Cubicle Some telephone cubicles are so small that only those without a physical disability may access it. They are hidden away and hard to find, making them useless for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech-impaired or physically disabled.

Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use Use of design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or concentration level. Acceptable: Coke Machine- The Commercial Metaphor Advertising is a good example of simple and intuitive use. Advertisers seek to make buying a product as simple and desirable as possible. That's why Shopping Malls are some of the most accessible environments around. The Vending Machine is an excellent example of simple and intuitive use because it is readily apparent what it sells through pictures, symbols, colours, words, and fonts Again, the buttons are large and easy to push and themselves are laden with pictures, words and symbols It is also made evident in a number of ways, where to put the money and where to get the drink. Outdoor signage must use pictures, and textural cues as well, like the coke machine. Unacceptable When people constantly ask how get to a building, the signage is likely an issue. Often the outdoor signage and pathways are inadequate in comparison size of the area. Signage often relies solely on the use of words which are often located in hard-to-find areas behind bushes and other obstacles, making it useless for sight-impaired students and visitors. Also, the use of only one form of communication- words- makes it more difficult for everyone to find their way around campus- particularly for those who have difficulty with print. Maps that are not tactile and easy to read also pose a problem.

Principle 4: Perceptible Information Communicate necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information. Provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings Maximize legibility of essential information. Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations Acceptable: Presents information redundantly- textual, numerically, braille Word “Classroom” and numbers are well contrasted from background using legible, raised, non-glare font Braille for the visually impaired Unacceptable When building only use numbers to present information Colour of numbers are not adequately contrasted with wood (although they are raised) When nothing distinguishes a door from any other Only makes use of number placed high above the door in a dark area- no way for visually impaired person to know where they are

Principle 5: Tolerance for Error The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. Acceptable The ramp that leads to a building is on a fairly mild gradient It has railings on both sides to help on the way down It melds with the existing architecture Unacceptable: The building is sunken with stairs leading down to it, making any access very complicated The ramp (or scamp in this case) is on steep slope with no handrails and stairs on either side If someone were to fall off their wheelchair, they could fall down the stairs Nothing to warn of ramp; nothing that separates the ramp from the stairs

Principle 6: Low Physical Effort The design can be used efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of fatigue. Acceptable: A slope that involves minimizing intense or sustained physical effort A looping path that runs beside the sidewalk that allows ease of effort when going up a slope. Unacceptable : Slopes that pose a serious challenge to many people with physical disabilities Sidewalks that may be too steep for many people and may require a large degree of physical exertion.

Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

A Community of Learners #8 The instructional environment promotes interaction and communication among students and between students and faculty. (U.Conn)

Instructional Climate #9 Instruction is designed to be welcoming and inclusive. High expectations are espoused for all students. (U.Conn)

What is Universal Design? The design of environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Slide 4- What is Universal Design? -Founded by Ron Mace and others at the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University -Universal Design seeks to eliminate the disadvantages experienced by these groups by designing an environment to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design -since adaptation and specialized design continue to exclude and segregate people as “disabled”

Implementation The socio-political model of disability provides a way to operationalize the principles of Universal Design. It provides a framework on how to approach the paradigm.

Two Approaches to Access Accommodation Universal Design

Accommodation Approach Universal Design Approach Access issues are disabled individual’s problem to solve Access achieved through accommodations and retrofitting existing environments Universal Design Approach Access issues are the designer’s problem to solve Environments are designed to be usable by all, to the greatest extent possible

Accommodation Approach Universal Design Approach Reactive Separate Consumable Universal Design Approach Proactive Inclusive Reusable and broadly applicable

Convictions Adaptive Environments Design is powerful and profoundly influences our daily lives and our sense of confidence, comfort, and control. Design is a tool of social equity and matters more than ever in a world more diverse in age and ability than at any other time in history.

Convictions Continued Variation in human ability is ordinary, not special, and affects most of us for some part of our lives. Human centered design is a way of thinking about places, things and communication but also about policies and practices that are responsive to human diversity and enhance everyone's experience.

Working with Faculty How do I make suggestions to faculty on how to make their courses more usable for all students?

Questions to Consider: When I talk to a faculty member, how can I approach the discussion from a sustainable perspective? How do I focus on the environment and not one student?

What challenges to inclusion does the design and delivery of the course create the way the instructor is offering the course?

What can the instructor change to make the course more universally designed for all students? To minimize the need for individual accommodations To be inclusive for all students

Lecture Requires sustained concentration, retention of information, fluency in spoken language, and note-taking   Post notes on an accessible Website; provide periodic breaks, adequate space, lighting for communication, allow time for Q&A and clarification during presentation

Group Work Requires substantial, appropriate physical space; use of printed materials; sustained concentration and interpersonal communication; writing skills; may spark anxiety issues Mediate individual differences through distribution of responsibilities, breaks and accessible formats; minimize amount of printed materials; design physical space to minimize noise level and distraction

PowerPoint or Overhead Requires use of visual information (clarity, color, size, and density of slides); lighting may be an issue Slides solid dark background, light text; 24- point font in Arial, Times New Roman; describe slides orally; allow adequate time to read each slide; post slides to an accessible Website

Videos and Films Requires use of auditory and visual information; lighting may be an issue Ensure videos are captioned; prepare a disk of descriptive narration or transcript for availability of alternative format

Written Exercises Requires reading, writing, access to print formats and English language fluency Offer exercises as group work; allow for the use of AT, reader, scribe, or a dictated response; use at least 18-point font on a solid background using simple, intuitive language

Activities Requires physical movement, auditory and visual information, language fluency; may spark anxiety issues, compromise use of accommodations (interpreters), and physical environment (noise, space, lighting) Balance value of the activity and individual differences of participants; consider options to accomplish the same goals; plan for ease of movement and communication. Practice variations of the activity to evaluate inclusiveness

Discussions Requires language fluency, listening skills; sound barriers; may require note- taking, sustained concentration, and use of visual information; may affect effectiveness of accommodations (interpreter); may spark anxiety issues Plan for space and lighting for sound barriers and alternative communication (interpreters); summarize key points; design seating arrangements that provide face-to-face contact

Examples of Evaluation Options Exam on web site Contract for course evaluation and demonstration of knowledge Flexible evaluation methods Emailing assignments

Examples of Teaching Options Send teaching notes to students ahead of lecture Post notes on web site Use PowerPoint along with lecture for visual and auditory information Options for assignments as a group or individual

Resources Oliver, Mike (1990). The Politics of Disablement. Macmillan:London Welch, P.(1995). Strategies for Teaching Universal Design. Adaptive Environments Center: Boston Bowe, F. (2000). Universal Design in Education. Bergin and Garvey:Westport CT.

Resources Palmer, J.(2003). Universal Instructional Design and Learning Disabled Students www.tss.uoguelph.ca/projects/uid CAST Universal Design for Learning http://www.cast.org/ Center for Universal design www.design.ncsu.edu/cud

Resources Carol Gill, Chicago Institute on Disability Research www.ahead.org has a list of resources related to UD as well as Disability Studies Series of brochures on UD