Date
23 March 2024

Ensure materials are flexible and accessible

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Planning using UDL in intermediate and secondary settings’

On this page:

Offer flexible materials

Offer flexible materials

Ben Britton describes how digital technologies can be used to build options and supports into the learning environment.

Benefits of digital text

Benefits of digital text

Digital text is valuable because it can be:

  • adjusted so that the style, size, and colour of fonts are the best fit for the student
  • converted to speech using text­-to­-speech tools
  • hyperlinked to definitions and background information
  • illustrated with moving images and images from own context
  • highlighted, annotated, and underlined to guide the reader’s attention
  • easily linked to and from other online environments and documents
  • accessed and collaboratively edited 24/7.

Suggestions for using text-to-speech

Suggestions for using text-to-speech

Encourage the use of text-to-speech across the curriculum.

  • Listen and read along with unfamiliar texts to develop reading fluency.
  • Access texts beyond the students’ reading level.
  • Listen to audio while doing another activity, such as exercise, travelling, or resting the eyes.
  • When editing writing, select sections of text and listen back for errors and fluency.

Reflection questions

Reflection questions

Consider the following questions in your own context.

  • How do I provide varied accessible media to present concepts and content?
  • In what ways do I invite student feedback on the usefulness and accessibility of materials?
  • Do I offer graphic organisers, rubrics, checklists, templates with varying amounts of content to help students to organise and document thinking?
  • Do I prepare materials and media designed with varied levels of challenge and make them available to all students?
  • Are the materials I offer relevant to students' lives?

Source: Adapted from CAST UDL curriculum self-check (opens in a new tab/window)

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Do’s and don’ts on designing for accessibility

Read time: 34 min

A set of six posters with general guidelines for designing accessible web content. These posters are also useful considerations for general classroom planning and content design.

Publisher: United Kingdom Government

Visit website

Website

Readwritethink

This online resource offers a range of graphic organisers and online interactive tools for teachers.

Publisher: International Literacy Association

Visit website

Website

Multiple means of representation – Professional development resource

An online resource from CAST introducing the UDL principle of Representation.

Publisher: CAST

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Design considerations in secondary settings”:

Return to the guide “Universal Design for Learning”

Guide to Index of the guide: Universal Design for Learning

Strategies for action:

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