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Contact UsUniversal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a teaching approach designed to support the wide range of learning needs found in today’s classrooms. UDL encourages instructors to offer students choices in how they access materials, engage with content, and show what they have learned. These choices may include different tools, formats, learning activities, or support options.
UDL is built on three main principles:
- Multiple means of representation, which focus on offering information in different ways.
- Multiple means of engagement, which encourage motivation and participation
- Multiple means of expression, which allow students to demonstrate learning in various ways
This framework invites educators to rethink how courses are designed, so they better support diverse learners.
Back To TopCenter for Teaching, Learning and Design (CTLD)
The Center for Teaching, Learning and Design (CTLD) offers a wide array of resources and services to assist faculty in designing and implementing their courses in meaningful, accessible, and inclusive ways. Some of their services and resources include:
- The Instructional Accessibility Group (IAG), which provides faculty training and guides to support creating more accessible and inclusive instructional content.
- The CTLD Ready page, which offers over 175 tutorials that address many questions that instructors frequently encounter while building their courses.
- Drop-In Support to aid in the adoption of an online teaching tool or instructional design advice.
Working with Accommodations
Key Things to Know
It can be hard as faculty to know where your responsibilities around accommodations begin and end. We’ve outlined some things below that faculty should and should not do related to accommodations for students.
Faculty SHOULD…
- uphold academic standards for their courses with or without accommodations.
- ensure courses and all relevant content meet digital accessibility standards.
- make sure students are aware of the Access Center and its supports.
- refer students to the Access Center if they are requesting accommodations not already approved by our office.
- review all accommodation letters when received.
- discuss any questions or concerns about an accommodation with the Access Center.
- implement accommodations promptly.
- maintain confidentiality around a student’s accommodations at all times.
Faculty SHOULD NOT…
- impose a deadline for receiving accommodation letters from students.
- discuss a student’s accommodations or disability status with others outside of our office (unless necessary).
- request disability documentation from students.
- refuse to provide approved accommodations.
Official Syllabus Statement
Course syllabi are critical communication tools for the university and its services. The Access Center strongly encourages all faculty to include the statement below in a prominent location on course syllabi to help ensure all students receive the supports they need.
Metropolitan State University of Denver is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities. Students seeking accommodations due to a diagnosed disability that impacts their access, performance, attendance, or grades in this class should visit the Access Center website for more information or contact the Access Center at 303-615-0200.
Faculty FAQs
An accommodation is an individualized adjustment that helps lessen or remove barriers for an individual with a disability. This allows the individual to participate on an equal level as their peers.
An accommodation is never intended to:
- provide an individual an advantage over others
- fundamentally alter a course, program, or service
- reduce academic rigor
Accessibility and accommodation are two sides of the same coin.
Accessibility is a generalized, proactive approach to designing things in a way that individuals with disabilities can use them independently. When done properly, it greatly reduces the need for accommodation.
Accommodation is a targeted, individualized approach focused on making adjustments to fit a specific individual’s needs. While accessibility can help reduce the need for it, there will always be a need for accommodation with some individuals.
Faculty play a major role in bringing awareness to campus support services and resources for students. Use of the official Access Center syllabus statement, class announcements directing students to the Access Center for support with academic accommodations, and individual referrals to our office for students who choose to disclose their disability status are all ways to ensure students receive support in a way that maintains their privacy.
Approved student accommodations will always be delivered to faculty through an official Accommodation Letter from the Access Center. Students for whom no letter is received or students requesting an accommodation not listed on the letter should always be referred to the Access Center for registration or modification of existing accommodations.
All accommodation letters will list an Accessibility Coordinator’s name and contact information. Faculty should contact the indicated Accessibility Coordinator for all questions or concerns related to a specific student’s accommodations. Accessibility Coordinators can answer many questions faculty have as well as assist in identifying other contacts for faculty support of accommodations.
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