Improving Access to Higher Education With UDL and Switch Access Technology

Abstract

This chapter presents an in-depth case study of the creative use of a mobile technology system by a diverse learner who is also one of the authors of the chapter. This learner is blind, has significant fine and gross motor impairment, and speaks in a whisper that is not understood by today's speech recognition technology. The learner's inclusion as an author is, in itself, a testimony to the empowerment the mobile communication system has brought to his life, which in turn has allowed him to be an active participant in the design of a learning environment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. More specifically, the chapter details the ongoing development of a system for making math content more accessible not only to the individual learner who is the focus of the case study, but to other learners who struggle with higher level math content in higher education.

Exclusion Reloaded: The Chronicles of Covid-19 on Students with Disabilities in a South African Open Distance Learning Context

“…In the education environment, UDL was adopted with an aim of ensuring that the curriculum is accessible to all students including those with disabilities. Perez et al [22] and Scott et al [23] posit that UDL allows the students an opportunity to overcome their learning barriers through accommodating all learning needs.…”