Universal design for learning and assistive technology go hand in hand. The article describes universal design as "a process for designing general products or structures in such a way as to reduce barriers for any individual and to increase opportunities for the widest possible range of users." It is important to realize that UDL takes place in the planning process and is not done after the fact. Assistive technology on the other hand can be incorporated into the planning stage but can also be added into the mix at any time. Assistive technology takes over when UDL begins to fall short for some students.
As you can see from the diagram used in the article, there certainly is an overlap between the two systems but UDL is from the beginning. UDL is a process in which assistive technology can be used to help progress.
The following video explains UDL in detail. It really shows that UDL is an approach to education to challenge a variety of diverse learners with or without disabilities. UDL can certainly incorporate assistive technology to to do but is definitely a separate concept.
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