The National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning

In 1999, CAST launched the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning as a national partnership of educators, schools and experts committed to improving access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities, and indeed all students, through the application of the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Since that time the Consortium has developed into a community of educators, administrators, educational support personnel, parents, students, and policymakers who are committed to the integration of Universal Design for Learning into classroom practice. At present, the Consortium has a membership of approximately 1700 professionals. The Consortium serves as a bridge from research to practice: taking research conducted by the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) and other CAST initiatives and translating it into new curricula, instructional approaches, and learning models in classrooms throughout the country. The Consortium seeks to establish Universal Design for Learning as an integral element in the field of educational practice nationally. The Consortium will advance this vision by embedding UDL into educational theory and pedagogy and by aligning the work of the Consortium with other promising educational initiatives that address the needs of diverse learners and their teachers. With this vision in mind, the Consortium will provide an applied research information base for the theoretical framework of UDL as well as a dissemination vehicle to reach a broad range of educators throughout the country.

The goals of the National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning were to:

• Create and support a community of educators, connected virtually, who are working to advance the understanding and practice of Universal Design for Learning.

• Research and develop promising instructional strategies, curricula, technology tools, and instructional and professional development models.

• Implement promising instructional approaches, methods and materials in Consortium classrooms.

• Evaluate these models in terms of their feasibility, replicability and expected outcomes.

• Disseminate promising practices and models to schools and educational professionals.

The National Consortium is implemented via the three following components:

Direct Practice Partners Program: Direct Practice Partners are schools and districts selected to participate in classroom-based direct service projects that focus on implementing innovative technology tools, classroom materials, instructional approaches, and curriculum planning based on the UDL framework.

Affiliate Partners Program: Affiliate Partners are a virtual community of educators and other professionals who are committed to Universal Design for Learning and to the sharing of ideas and suggestions with other educators.

Professional Development: The Consortium offers a variety of professional development opportunities to bring the UDL message to educators, including ongoing contracts, teacher trainings and workshops, online professional development modules, conference presentations, and information disseminated over the Consortium Web site.

To join the Consortium as an Affiliate Partner, eligible to receive news and information about the UDL Consortium, participate in forum discussions, and be considered for beta testing of CAST products, please complete the application posted on the Web site (www.cast.org/UDL/), or email Grace Meo at: gmeo@cast.org to request information.