Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 3.0
Design learning that welcomes identity, reduces barriers and sustains rigorous achievement. This page translates UDL 3.0 into practical actions at UNSW with examples, templates and policy alignment.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) at UNSW
What is UDL?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that focuses on improving teaching and learning for all people, grounded in neuroscience and learning sciences. UDL acknowledges that there is no "average" learner variability as the norm and therefore curricula must be designed to support this diversity from the outset.
At UNSW and across the Australian higher education sector, UDL is applied to ensure learning environments are inclusive, equitable and aligned with AQF Level 7-9 standards. This includes learners with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, mature-age learners, international students and those with complex personal or socio-economic circumstances.
UDL 3.0 in the Australian HE context
The 2024 update of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines 3.0 expands the framework beyond access and inclusion toward identity-conscious design. It recognises that every learner’s cultural, linguistic and social identity shapes how they engage, perceive and express learning. This aligns with UNSW’s Progress for All Strategy, which commits to learning environments that value belonging, authenticity and collective agency.
In this model, identity is not an add-on but a dimension of variability. At UNSW we endeavour to create learning experiences for the whole learner, not only to remove physical or cognitive barriers, but also to address barriers embedded in systems, assumptions and language.
UNSW Teaching Gateway - change
The gateway provides a context for effective applications of UDL guidelines at UNSW, starting with small changes that maximise inclusivity. You will find information on UDL practices at UNSW and the framework’s contextualisation of UDL in the Australian HE context. These resources have been compiled by UNSW UDL Guild with the support of Guild members and non-members.
The goal of UDL 3.0 at UNSW
The aim of UDL is to develop learner agency by enabling students to act with purpose, reflection and autonomy in achieving their learning goals. At UNSW our learners are:
- Purposeful and motivated (engaged, resilient)
- Resourceful and knowledgeable (drawing on diverse ways of knowing)
- Strategic and goal-directed (using effective approaches to action and expression)
This is achieved by shifting focus from "fixing the learner" to designing accessible environments that anticipate barriers before they arise.
UDL 3.0 in the Australian context
- Widening participation: UDL “enables curricula to be written flexibly so [it is] accessible to the highest number of learners” (Jwad et al., 2023), reducing reliance on reactive adjustments.
- Retention and success: students persist when courses reflect cultural identities and personal commitments (Bunda, Parbury, & West, 2025).
- Policy alignment: supports obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and Disability Standards for Education (2005) and looks at the future by supporting UNSW Progress for All Strategy.
The Who of learning in HE Australian context
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges
In the Australian context, intersectionality must engage with the sovereignty and epistemic authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As Bunda et al. (2025) assert, educators must centre Indigenous voices, laws and Country, not merely include them as cultural content. This perspective echoes Abdilla et al.’s Out of the Black Box: Indigenous Protocols for AI (2021), which calls for relational accountability, respect for Country and Indigenous data sovereignty as ethical imperatives for design.
Applying intersectionality through a diverse lens requires UDL practice to:
- Design learning around Country, relationships and reciprocity, extending beyond Western compliance-based accessibility models.
- Recognise the continuing legacy of colonisation and transform, rather than replicate, oppressive educational structures.
- Value Indigenous ways of knowing and being as rigorous, plural epistemologies that shape what counts as knowledge and learning.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols (2023) state, observing cultural protocols and language sovereignty “acknowledges and accepts our shared past and lays the groundwork for mutual respect and shared responsibility for our land”.
This aligns with the UNSW Indigenous Strategy and a design justice approach to curriculum.
UDL 3.0 at UNSW: Intersectionality Matters
UDL 3.0 at UNSW: a natural alignment
The UDL Guidelines 3.0 explicitly expand to include the who of learning, recognising identity and culture as intrinsic to learner variability. When applied intersectionally, UDL invites educators to:
- Design for intersecting identities, not assumed norms, by embedding flexibility and representation across modes of engagement, representation and action.
- Foreground relational power, understanding that the same task or space can include or exclude based on gendered, cultural or disability contexts.
- Apply reflexivity and co-design, ensuring learners are collaborators, not recipients, in constructing equitable learning environments.
This alignment calls on educators to shift from remediation toward design justice, identifying and addressing barriers located in the learning environment rather than the learner.
Dismantling structural barriers for equitable participation
UDL principles in practice
Multiple Means of Engagement WHY
- Authentic choices and belonging (CAST, 2024)
- Culturally responsive practices recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges
- Support motivation amid variable attention, wellbeing or responsibilities
Multiple Means of Representation WHAT
- Present information in diverse modalities (text, visual, audio, interactive)
- Ensure all digital materials meet WCAG 2.1 AA and UNSW digital accessibility policy
- Embed multilingual resources and honour linguistic diversity
Multiple Means of Action & Expression HOW
- Flexible pathways to demonstrate AQF‑aligned outcomes
- Scaffold academic literacies, technology use, intercultural collaboration
- Use constructive alignment so choice remains rigorous and valid (Biggs, 2014)
Benefits of UDL
For educators
- Reduced need for ad‑hoc adjustments or alternative assessments
- Increased student engagement and course satisfaction
- Stronger alignment with UNSW assessment principles and AQF standards
For learners
- Greater choice in how to learn and demonstrate knowledge
- Improved access to materials across devices and formats
- Reduced barriers related to disability, culture, language or socio‑economic status
UDL “reduces barriers while maintaining high achievement standards” (CAST, 2024). Sustainable inclusion requires staff capability building (Jwad et al., 2023).
UNSW UDL applications and resources - possible
UNSW UDL Guild
The UNSW UDL Guild has adopted a contextualised UDL 3.0 framework drawing on CAST guidance while embedding:
- Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and protocols of respect
- Alignment with AQF levels to safeguard academic integrity and rigour
- Integration with constructive alignment to ensure assessment validity
- Commitment to WCAG 2.1 for all digital platforms
Many UNSW educators already implement UDL‑consistent practices such as lecture recordings, flexible assessments, scaffolded literacy support and culturally aware learning design.
Join the UNSW UDL Guild (Teams)
Inclusive Teaching and Equity Hub
Designed as a ‘one-stop shop’ for UNSW staff to develop their inclusive practice. The space links to a range of quality resources both within and beyond UNSW and provides a range of tips and tricks for implementing new strategies in the tertiary learning environment.
Visit the Inclusive Teaching and Equity Hub
References (APA 7th)
- Abdilla, A., Bidjibidji, K., Fejo‑King, C., & Fejo, K. (2021). Out of the Black Box: Indigenous Protocols for AI. CSIRO’s Data61. https://doi.org/10.25919/indigenous-ai
- Bunda, T., Parbury, N., & West, R. (2025). Indigenising Curriculum at The University of Queensland: Handbook for Educators. The University of Queensland Press.
- Carbado, D. W., Crenshaw, K. W., Mays, V. M., & Tomlinson, B. (2013). Intersectionality: Mapping the movements of a theory. Du Bois Review, 10(2), 303–312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742058X13000349
- CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. Lynnfield, MA: Author. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
- Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of colour. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299.
- UN‑Women. (2023). Intersectionality resource guide and toolkit: An intersectional approach to leave no one behind. United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- University of New South Wales. (n.d.). UNSW Indigenous Strategy. Retrieved 9 October 2025, from https://www.indigenous.unsw.edu.au/strategy
- University of Queensland. (2023). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols. The University of Queensland.
