How can Universal Design help students with disabilities gain access to the general curriculum?
Because each learner is unique, no single approach to teaching will work well for all students. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA ’97) requires that individual strengths and needs be considered in the development of each student’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP (IDEA ’97, §300.346). When classrooms and curricula are universally designed and offer flexibility to meet individual needs and preferences, students without IEPs are likely to benefit, and many students with IEPs will need fewer individualized accommodations.
