Why Universal Design for Learning is having a moment in higher education
Rebecca Morris, Australian Disability Clearinghouse for Education and Training (ADCET); Elizabeth Hitches, Griffith University
Something exciting is happening in the higher education sector across Australia and beyond. Academics, learning designers, and equity practitioners are rallying around a game-changing approach called Universal Design for Learning (UDL). But this isn’t just another educational buzzword; it is a fundamental shift in how we think about creating learning environments that actually work for and include everyone.
The wake-up call Australia needed
The 2024 Australian Universities Accord delivered some uncomfortable truths. While our student body is more diverse than ever, we’re still failing students from underrepresented groups at alarming rates. The report didn’t just highlight the problem; it demanded action to address these persistent inequities.
In 2025, the Universitas21 Disability Inclusion Policy Mapping Report reinforced what many of us already suspected: our current approach to supporting students with disabilities isn’t working effectively. Not just in Australia, but around the world, we’re stuck in a cycle of retrofitting accommodations, a process that’s not only unsustainable but at times actively disempowering or uncomfortable. Chapter 3.1 of the Universitas21 Report reminds us that “addressing disabling barriers with reasonable accommodations” is often a process aimed primarily at students who can prove their eligibility, which is not always financially or emotionally possible. It frequently leaves out those on the road to diagnoses…and everyone else!
This is where UDL comes in. It asks us to consider the broad diversity and intersecting identities of all our students, rather than scrambling to fix barriers after they’ve already excluded students. UDL asks us to anticipate and remove those barriers from the start. It’s about designing learning experiences that are inclusive by design, not as an afterthought.
This proactive approach to inclusion is being increasingly supported at a national policy level. In December 2024, the Australian Government announced the quadrupling of the higher education Disability Support Fund (DSF) and released revisions to the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022 (Part 3) that include a broader range of activities for which the DSF can be used. The Guidelines now specify that this funding can be used by providers “for the purpose of making modifications to course content, teaching materials and delivery methods to better meet the needs of students with disability, which may include implementation of Universal Design for Learning in accordance with the UDL Guidelines 3.0 created by CAST”. The CAST UDL Guidelines 3.0 are available here.
Learning from the trenches
The ADCET UDL Symposium 2025: Navigating Authentic Assessment and Learning in a Digital World brought together the people actually doing this work. Held on June 25 to 26, 2025 at the University of Sydney and online, the Symposium wasn’t just another academic conference; it was a meeting of minds (and hearts!) genuinely committed to sharing and supporting each other in collective efforts to improve educational experiences for all.
Dr Sean Bracken, Principal Lecturer at the University of Worcester, UK and co-founder of INCLUDE, delivered a keynote that cut straight to the heart of the matter: how do we implement UDL at an institutional level and empower learner agency? The sessions that followed were equally practical, with students leading conversations about inclusive learning, experts exploring how AI fits within UDL frameworks, and practitioners sharing resources designed and implemented to reduce barriers and enhance learning opportunities.
One attendee captured the transformative power of the Symposium perfectly:
“After attending the symposium, I have a better understanding about the systemic barriers of Higher Education that continue to disadvantage particular groups of students. I know why student diversity is increasing, why more and more students are seeking accommodations. I get that traditional modes of teaching and assessing are not equipped to cater for all these diverse needs. Then you add fears around AI and academic integrity and the increasing pressure on academics and students. But I also feel inspired and optimistic. The Symposium helped me to connect with the UDL network and provided me confidence and practical strategies to explore in my own teaching practice – I can be part of the solution.”
The path forward
The UDL community is growing, but we need more voices, more champions, and more institutions willing to embrace this approach. The good news? Getting started is easier than you might think.
Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can dive in:
Connect with the community by joining the UDL Community of Practice, where you’ll find colleagues learning together, wrestling with the same challenges, and celebrating victories.
Explore the resources available through ADCET, which offers practical tools and guidance for implementing UDL in your context.
Build your foundation with the free UDL 3.0 eLearning module, designed to give you the theoretical grounding you need to make informed decisions about your teaching practice.
Get hands-on experience through the UDL Studio, where you can experiment with principles in a supportive environment and problem-solve barriers with enthusiastic collaborators.
Prepare to be inspired at the online and in-person 2026 ADCET UDL Symposium (24 to 26 June 2026). Sign up to the ADCET newsletter to get updated on this and other upcoming events.
The future of higher education isn’t about accommodating diversity. It’s about designing for it from the ground up. UDL gives us the framework to make that future a reality – one classroom, one assessment, one institution at a time.
For more information on the free disability inclusion resources, guidance, training, and support offered by ADCET please visit the ADCET website or watch the recent webinar, All about ADCET 2026.
Rebecca Morris, Manager, Australian Disability Clearinghouse for Education and Training (ADCET)
Elizabeth Hitches, Sessional academic (inclusive education), Griffith University. PhD Candidate, University of Queensland. Member of the ADCET UDL Symposium Organising Committee.