Paper idea

 Universal design for learning, but what about universal learning for design?

UDL and ensuring education is inclusive is absolutely imperative, but what about our next generation learning to be inclusive for their peers and their own future world? The focus of this research is on introducing digital accessibility awareness in schools so young people learn how to be inclusive in our digital world, which is more about universal design concepts in learning, rather than for learning.

The school timetable currently has the topics of citizenship and computing as part of curriculum, yet neither of these subjects currently delve into the importance of digital accessibility in society. In computing the syllabus covers input and output devices for assistive technologies or tools that help people with digital content, but don’t explain that content needs to be made in an accessible way for these devices to work or how some simple techniques can help to make content more usable. In citizenship, it covers the disability perspective through how people have differences and how we need to be inclusive of their needs, but doesn’t cover how that specifically looks in our digital society and how we can all contribute to making accessible content towards inclusion.

The significance of content not being accessible or working on assistive technology is described as a mainstream issue that needs addressing (Christopherson, 2022).



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