Perceptions of UDL Teaching Practices among University Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how students’ disabilities impacted their learning at the university and to measure their perceptions of universal design for learning (UDL). An online survey was administered at a large public research university in the south-central United States; 160 students with disabilities completed the survey. These students with disabilities described how their disabilities influenced their learning in the following aspects: attention issues, slow processing, absence, accessibility issues, reading and writing challenges, mental health challenges, and social interaction challenges. The results also revealed that some UDL teaching practices were not being fully utilized by instructors based on the perceptions of students with disabilities. We discussed those UDL practices which were not being used by instructors and highlighted the impact of using the practices on students’ learning. These practices include effective teaching methods such as helping students organize and summarize learning content, using technology to increase accessibility, providing flexibility in assessments and assignments, providing meaningful feedback, and recruiting students’ attention and engagement.