Universal Design for Learning- Juliana

Usually when I think of the word accessibility, I think of physical access. However, after the discussion with Rachel and reading these articles, it is clear that accessibility goes way beyond that. I liked the example that was given in the article “Providing New Access to the General Curriculum,” where the authors discussed the curb cut. Curb cuts were originally designed specifically for people in wheelchairs, however they ended up being useful to pretty much anyone using the sidewalk. It makes sense that things should be designed in a way that is universal to everyone using it. This applies to learning as well- everyone has to go to school and learn, so the curriculum should be designed in a way that works for everyone.

Universal design for learning is especially applicable to MOXI and the Innovation Workshop, as we have guests of all different ages and abilities coming in every day. I think that the current activity in the workshop, Digital Drawing, does a really good job of using UDL, as there is a wide range of drawing tools for guests to use, while some may be easier or more difficult to use depending on ability level. I am doing my best to incorporate UDL into my workshop activity as well- digital pixel art. I realize that young children may have trouble using the laptops to create their pixel art digitally, which is why I am providing graph paper and colored pencils to hopefully make the activity more accessible to a larger audience. While the end goal will still be the same, to learn about pixel art, the curriculum is still universal as there will be alternative ways for engaging.