New publication - Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education
Using our previous Toolkit for Inclusive Higher Education Institutions as a guide, we are delighted to announce the publication of our latest document, Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education. Where we previously sought to stress the value of inclusive higher education institutions, here we show how to mainstream full participation of all students by using Universal Design principles.
We offer this as a guide to show how universities and colleges can progress the mainstreaming of inclusion and participation for all students. Using a range of key Enablers and Pillars, the Toolkit provides a far-reaching exploration of the institutional, administrative, academic, and practical factors that will contribute to a more equitable higher education experience for all.
The ongoing work of UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, specifically through the University for All initiative, informed and guided the creation of this Toolkit. Through avenues such as the Widening Participation Committee, ideas around access and inclusion have become mainstreamed in recent years, and here we have collated the collective knowledge gained form this process. Universal Design for Learning is the backbone of this work, and emerged as the core idea to pursue in this Toolkit.
This Toolkit is designed as a practical resource, intended for use by university and college leaders, faculty members, and professional, administrative, and support staff. It is hoped that it will be a clear guide to how Universal Design for Learning can transform your institution. Using examples of good practice from both national and international institutions, it brings together Universal Design expertise from around the world. It provides a framework for organisatiosn and institutions to implement the (opens in a new window)ALTITUDE Charter: the national charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education.
The Toolkit contains multiple check points against which you scan score your institution or unit. We use this Toolkit in our University for All workshops where faculty and professional staff from programme areas and units work together using the Toolkit to assess the current state of access and inclusion in the programme area, School, College or unit; gather examples of good practice; and identify priority areas for action. Widening Participation Representatives then use this information to plan and develop projects based on these results.
If you are outside UCD and wish to use this digital toolkit in your own institution please email (opens in a new window)Universityforall@ucd.ie and we'll provide you with the details you need to make this happen in your institution. To translate our Toolkit into an interactive digital tool we worked with eConcepts Web Solutions who would be happy to work with you to use this Toolkit in your own institution.