Universal Design for Learning in its 3rd decade: a focus on equity, inclusion, and design

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for inclusion originally developed by CAST in the late 1990s. In the past 20 years, UDL has gained prominence worldwide and has been widely adopted as a model for designing inclusive instructional environments. UDL is based on the premise that educators can proactively reduce barriers in the learning environment, providing meaningful experiences to all learners through proactive design. As it enters its third decade, UDL represents a mature framework that has been further shaped by the efforts of educators worldwide, who have contributed to the knowledge base on UDL application and implementation.