Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education

Dr Anna M. Kelly; Dr Bairbre Fleming; Dr Lisa Padden

Resource

Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education

Description

Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education, is a practical step-by-step ‘how-to guide’ to assist the higher education sector to create inclusive institutions where all students belong. Predicated on the incremental nature of mainstreaming participation of under-represented students in higher education, this updated Toolkit uses the lens of student diversity to inform and guide the design of an inclusive educational experience that embraces all students equitably.

Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it

Use the toolkit as a structured self-assessment and planning resource for implementing Universal Design across a higher education institution. It supports implementation of ALTITUDE, the National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education.

Learn from UCD’s University for All model and its approach to inclusive institutional change.
Review institutional foundations, initiative scaffolding and catalysts, and access and inclusion leadership.
Assess practice across four pillars: learning, teaching and assessment; student supports, services and social engagement; the physical campus and built environment; and the digital environment.
Use scoring exercises and self-assessment results to identify priorities and plan improvements.
Explore practical actions, potential challenges, suggested solutions and examples of good practice.

Publication details

Authors: Dr Anna M. Kelly, Dr Lisa Padden and Dr Bairbre Fleming
Publisher: UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, University College Dublin
Publication year: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-910963-28-9
Length: 145 PDF pages
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

People, communities and initiatives

Collaborators

Dr Anna M. Kelly

Dr Bairbre Fleming

Dr Lisa Padden

Dr Anna M. Kelly · Dr Bairbre Fleming · Dr Lisa Padden

Communities

ALTITUDE – National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education

University College Dublin

Initiatives

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

This work is licensed under a CC BY license, allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Further information and metadata

Topics

Accessibility and Inclusion

Disciplines

Keywords

universal design

Funding programmes

Learning resources

Organisations

University College Dublin

Collaborators

Dr Anna M. Kelly · Dr Bairbre Fleming · Dr Lisa Padden

Date submitted

19 October 2026

Submitted by

National Forum

Resource record ID

21822

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Unlocking Inclusion: Toolkit for Universal Design in Higher Education

Description