Universal Design of Assessments and AA-MAS Transition Christopher Johnstone, Ph.D.

What is universal design?  The term “universal design” was first coined by architect Ron Mace to describe environments that are accessible to a wide variety of users.

What does UD look like in the real world?   Curb cuts and ramps   Signage with universal symbols   Door handles rather than knobs   Special pen shapes that are easier to hold

Design is important!

So, what does this mean for education?  Universal design principles have been applied to educational settings to increase access to grade level content for students with disabilities.  The idea of universal design is that it will improve access for students with and without disabilities.

Universal Design of Assessment (UDA)  Inclusive assessment population  Precisely defined constructs  Accessible, non-biased items  Amenable to accommodations  Simple, clear, and intuitive instructions and procedures  Maximum readability and comprehensibility  Maximum legibility (Thompson, Johnstone, & Thurlow, 2002).

What UD is not…  Do we want to change the standard we are teaching?NO  Can we forget about accommodations if we do this?NO  Is this all figured out – for now and forever?NO  Is this something that will benefit only students with disabilities?NO

From AA-MAS to Inclusive Assessments  Form groups that cut across state lines  In groups, think of three features of your AA-MAS that were designed to improve accessibility for students with disabilities  Now, focus on one of these features as a group and answer the questions:

Question 1  Can this feature be integrated into the general education assessment?  If yes, how might this help to improve accessibility for more students than those served by AA-MAS?  If no, what validity concerns are present that would make this feature impossible to integrated into the general assessment?

Question 2 (if you answered “yes” to the previous item, think about a different feature that might introduce validity concerns)  If a feature introduces validity challenges, how might the feature be “tweaked” so it does not inadvertently advantage or disadvantage certain students?

Question 3  Now that the accessibility feature has been “tweaked” to address validity concerns, is it possible to leave the feature “as is” for certain students and provide as an accommodation?  If so, what students?

Question 4  Now think back to your original three features of the AA-MAS. Divide these into four categories:  Can be integrated into general assessment  Can be integrated into general assessment with some minor changes  Can be integrated into general assessment, but only as an accommodation for certain students  Cannot be integrated at all into the general assessment

UDA Tools  AA-MAS represented new features which improved accessibility for students with disabilities  Some of these features may have accessibility benefits and reduce barriers for the general population  Other features may need to be adjusted for general consumption  Other features will not be appropriate

Thinking Like Architects  UD asks us to think like architects  UD asks us to consider accessibility

UDA and AA-MAS  UDA focuses on accessibility of assessments  AA-MAS provides insights and features which could be included into the design of general assessments  This may increase accessibility for the general population AND students with disabilities