HIGHER EDUCATION CONSULTANCY
UDL is increasingly appealing in the Higher Ed sector, particularly when retrofitting on such wide scale as is currently required has shown to be expensive, unmanageable, unsustainable and difficult to justify from a social justice perspective. Even stakeholders who do not necessarily feel invested in inclusion per se often must concede that even the most neo-liberal of perspectives encourages the shift: academia must attract and retain students in a highly competitive climate. In order not to lose appeal for a growing student base invested in the issue of access to learning, it is increasingly difficult for campuses to refuse to address or ignore the diversity of the student body and its expectations. Access, inclusion and UDL are high on the agenda of the millennium learner. The notion of traditional learner has very little relevance on today’s campuses.
The areas within which higher campuses might be wishing to seek UDL consultancy differ slightly from the concerns observed in K-12:
The areas within which higher campuses might be wishing to seek UDL consultancy differ slightly from the concerns observed in K-12:
1. Strategizing for change. Culture clash between the old and the new, between student perspectives and instructor outlook, between tradition and innovation, etc. has been a reality in High Ed for now many years. It is a context that is bracing itself for change and knows it is inevitable. The use of a consultant can therefore be useful, or even potent, when it comes to planning and mapping out a change process. This may involve strategizing change from the perspective of the Disability service provider, the teaching body, the unions, the student representatives, student affairs personnel, etc.
2. Ecological evaluation and mapping. The landscape on Higher Ed campuses is so complex, and the professional perspectives so numerous, that UDL implementation is neither feasible nor manageable without an initial environmental analysis, preferably ecological in nature. This exercise can be carried out by a consultant and will yield a list of winning conditions for long-term UDL implementation.
3. Stakeholder analysis. There is usually a great level of debate on higher ed campuses as to which unit of department should trigger and be responsible for the unfolding of a UDL implementation drive. Beyond simply allocating responsibility, there is often a need to analyse in depth who the crucial partners and stakeholders will be: should diversity offices be involved in the process? Teaching and Learning units? Much will depend on the individual context and circumstances of each organization. A consultant can compare contexts, resources, past experiences and structure on a provincial or national scale, to determine which actors ought to be key UDL leaders.
4. Branding change. A key to success within such large and diverse environments often lies in the packaging. Once a UDL implementation decision has been made, how can it best be ‘sold’ to the various units, professions and actors? How can it be branded to become appealing and relevant? This is where an external consultant can provide precious perspective and avoid ‘false starts’ which lead to frustration and push back.
2. Ecological evaluation and mapping. The landscape on Higher Ed campuses is so complex, and the professional perspectives so numerous, that UDL implementation is neither feasible nor manageable without an initial environmental analysis, preferably ecological in nature. This exercise can be carried out by a consultant and will yield a list of winning conditions for long-term UDL implementation.
3. Stakeholder analysis. There is usually a great level of debate on higher ed campuses as to which unit of department should trigger and be responsible for the unfolding of a UDL implementation drive. Beyond simply allocating responsibility, there is often a need to analyse in depth who the crucial partners and stakeholders will be: should diversity offices be involved in the process? Teaching and Learning units? Much will depend on the individual context and circumstances of each organization. A consultant can compare contexts, resources, past experiences and structure on a provincial or national scale, to determine which actors ought to be key UDL leaders.
4. Branding change. A key to success within such large and diverse environments often lies in the packaging. Once a UDL implementation decision has been made, how can it best be ‘sold’ to the various units, professions and actors? How can it be branded to become appealing and relevant? This is where an external consultant can provide precious perspective and avoid ‘false starts’ which lead to frustration and push back.
SAMPLE OF PAST PRESENTATIONS
(2015)
(i) Nurturing UD Implementation: The case of Student Affairs (co-authors: Lina di Genova,
Cedric Yarish-Ferland and Tanja Beck)
(ii) Multiple Means of Action & Expression: Rethinking Evaluation Methods at College Level
(co-authors: Anika Maloni & Roberta Thomson)
(iii) Planifier une implantation systémique du modèle CUA à l’échelle d’un campus
Universal Design for Learning: Canadian Perspectives. Sowing the seeds, Facilitating the
change, Nurturing the Growth, Montreal May.
(2015) Beyond ownership of the model – Building UDL alliances in post-secondary education outside Disability service provision (co-author: Tanja Beck)
UDL-IRN Summit 2015, Gulfport, Mississippi, March.
(2015) Panelist – Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation’s Annual Think Tank.
Post-Secondary students living with Episodic Disabilities: What do they need for success? Toronto, January.
(2014)
(i) Universal Design Audit of a Disability Service Office
(ii) Panel: UDL implementation in Higher Ed: utopia or reality?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4581QH1mY_M
UNB Symposium – Universal Design in Post-secondary Teaching: Reality or Utopia?
New Brunswick, November
(2014) Applying universal design to delivery service provision in Higher Education: devising a social model audit
CIUS 2nd Congress on University and Disability, Madrid, November
(2014) Integration of technology in Higher Education: transitional friction in the implementation of UDL
26th Australian Computers in Education Conference – Now it’s personal. Adelaide, October.
(2104) Panelist – La conception universelle de l’apprentissage (CUA) et les étudiants en situation de handicap : des applications éprouvées pour la réussite des études supérieures
CAPRES Webinar, October https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsC2qXv2wuc
(2014) Innovative and Accessible? E-learning and UD: Examining commonalities.
Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Conference, Anchorage, May
(2014)
(i) What about Field Placements and Real-World Learning Experiences? (co-authors: T.
Flanagan & F.J. Benson)
(ii) UDL Beyond the classroom – A UDL audit of disability service provision. (co-presenter:
Tanja Beck)
UDL-IRN Symposium, Baltimore, March
(2013) Between support and autonomy? UDL as a framework for inclusion for ASD students in Higher Education.
Australia Pacific Autism Conference, Adelaide, August
(2013)
(i) Managing change as DS leaders: Surveying lessons learnt and mapping the future
(ii) Unchartered paths: forging successful partnerships with faculty, teaching services and
diversity offices towards speedy campus wide Universal Design implementation
(co-author: Heather Mole)
(iii) Universal design audit of a disability service office (co-authors: Heather Mole, Tanja Beck,
Patricia Diaz del Castillo and Brodie Noga)
AHEAD 2013 Annual Conference, Baltimore, July
(2013)
(i) Like fire to water – building bridging collaborations between Disability service providers and
course instructors to create user friendly and resource efficient UDL implementation
material (co-authors: Heather Mole, David Syncox & Tynan Jarrett)
(ii) Easing Transitions from Program to Field for Students with Disabilities (Lead author: Dr.
F.J. Benson; co-author: Dr. Tara Flanagan)
STHLE 2013, Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, June
(2013)
(i) Beyond graduation day: creating collaborative passion between Disability service
providers and career advisers (co-author: Tanja Beck).
(ii) When passion for Universal Design encounters stumbling blocks – navigating the thorny
issue of field placements (Lead author: Dr. F.J. Benson; co-author: Dr. Tara Flanagan)
(iii) From concept to hands-on solutions: creating passion about UD amongst exam
coordinators (co-authors: Andrew Bennett & Heather Mole)
(iv) Un abécédaire pour gérer l’interface usager et accroitre l’accès au sein des services aux
étudiants : comment attiser la passion pour la conception universelle au sein des services
aux étudiants
CACUSS 2013, McGill, Montreal, June
(2013) Universal Design – When the concerns for access of a minority become the tools of the majority
European Access Network 22nd Annual Conference, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France, June
(2013) What is Universal Design for Learning and can it help create a smooth transition from high school through university?
Keynote speaker, LDAQ Chapter 1 Public conference, Montreal, January 2013.
(2012) Disability, Access and Universal Design. (co-author: Heather Mole)
CRISPESH Symposium on Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education, Dawson College, Montreal, November 2012.
(2012) From minority discourse to mainstream campus agenda: how the implementation of the Universal Design model is placing Higher Education Disability service providers in synchronicity with larger stakeholders and wider campus objectives. (co-author: Patricia Diaz del Castillo)
I International Congress of University and Disability, Madrid, Spain, November 2012
(2012) Universal Design and Sustainability: an Appealing Synchronicity of Concepts for the 21st Century Campus Accessibility Audit
AASHE 2012, Los Angeles, October 2012
(2012) Being UD before you preach UD!
2012 Annual AHEAD conference, New Orleans, July
(i) Nurturing UD Implementation: The case of Student Affairs (co-authors: Lina di Genova,
Cedric Yarish-Ferland and Tanja Beck)
(ii) Multiple Means of Action & Expression: Rethinking Evaluation Methods at College Level
(co-authors: Anika Maloni & Roberta Thomson)
(iii) Planifier une implantation systémique du modèle CUA à l’échelle d’un campus
Universal Design for Learning: Canadian Perspectives. Sowing the seeds, Facilitating the
change, Nurturing the Growth, Montreal May.
(2015) Beyond ownership of the model – Building UDL alliances in post-secondary education outside Disability service provision (co-author: Tanja Beck)
UDL-IRN Summit 2015, Gulfport, Mississippi, March.
(2015) Panelist – Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation’s Annual Think Tank.
Post-Secondary students living with Episodic Disabilities: What do they need for success? Toronto, January.
(2014)
(i) Universal Design Audit of a Disability Service Office
(ii) Panel: UDL implementation in Higher Ed: utopia or reality?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4581QH1mY_M
UNB Symposium – Universal Design in Post-secondary Teaching: Reality or Utopia?
New Brunswick, November
(2014) Applying universal design to delivery service provision in Higher Education: devising a social model audit
CIUS 2nd Congress on University and Disability, Madrid, November
(2014) Integration of technology in Higher Education: transitional friction in the implementation of UDL
26th Australian Computers in Education Conference – Now it’s personal. Adelaide, October.
(2104) Panelist – La conception universelle de l’apprentissage (CUA) et les étudiants en situation de handicap : des applications éprouvées pour la réussite des études supérieures
CAPRES Webinar, October https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsC2qXv2wuc
(2014) Innovative and Accessible? E-learning and UD: Examining commonalities.
Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Conference, Anchorage, May
(2014)
(i) What about Field Placements and Real-World Learning Experiences? (co-authors: T.
Flanagan & F.J. Benson)
(ii) UDL Beyond the classroom – A UDL audit of disability service provision. (co-presenter:
Tanja Beck)
UDL-IRN Symposium, Baltimore, March
(2013) Between support and autonomy? UDL as a framework for inclusion for ASD students in Higher Education.
Australia Pacific Autism Conference, Adelaide, August
(2013)
(i) Managing change as DS leaders: Surveying lessons learnt and mapping the future
(ii) Unchartered paths: forging successful partnerships with faculty, teaching services and
diversity offices towards speedy campus wide Universal Design implementation
(co-author: Heather Mole)
(iii) Universal design audit of a disability service office (co-authors: Heather Mole, Tanja Beck,
Patricia Diaz del Castillo and Brodie Noga)
AHEAD 2013 Annual Conference, Baltimore, July
(2013)
(i) Like fire to water – building bridging collaborations between Disability service providers and
course instructors to create user friendly and resource efficient UDL implementation
material (co-authors: Heather Mole, David Syncox & Tynan Jarrett)
(ii) Easing Transitions from Program to Field for Students with Disabilities (Lead author: Dr.
F.J. Benson; co-author: Dr. Tara Flanagan)
STHLE 2013, Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, June
(2013)
(i) Beyond graduation day: creating collaborative passion between Disability service
providers and career advisers (co-author: Tanja Beck).
(ii) When passion for Universal Design encounters stumbling blocks – navigating the thorny
issue of field placements (Lead author: Dr. F.J. Benson; co-author: Dr. Tara Flanagan)
(iii) From concept to hands-on solutions: creating passion about UD amongst exam
coordinators (co-authors: Andrew Bennett & Heather Mole)
(iv) Un abécédaire pour gérer l’interface usager et accroitre l’accès au sein des services aux
étudiants : comment attiser la passion pour la conception universelle au sein des services
aux étudiants
CACUSS 2013, McGill, Montreal, June
(2013) Universal Design – When the concerns for access of a minority become the tools of the majority
European Access Network 22nd Annual Conference, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France, June
(2013) What is Universal Design for Learning and can it help create a smooth transition from high school through university?
Keynote speaker, LDAQ Chapter 1 Public conference, Montreal, January 2013.
(2012) Disability, Access and Universal Design. (co-author: Heather Mole)
CRISPESH Symposium on Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education, Dawson College, Montreal, November 2012.
(2012) From minority discourse to mainstream campus agenda: how the implementation of the Universal Design model is placing Higher Education Disability service providers in synchronicity with larger stakeholders and wider campus objectives. (co-author: Patricia Diaz del Castillo)
I International Congress of University and Disability, Madrid, Spain, November 2012
(2012) Universal Design and Sustainability: an Appealing Synchronicity of Concepts for the 21st Century Campus Accessibility Audit
AASHE 2012, Los Angeles, October 2012
(2012) Being UD before you preach UD!
2012 Annual AHEAD conference, New Orleans, July
PUBLICATIONS
(2014) Integration of technology in Higher Education: transitional friction in the implementation of UDL. ACEC 2014 Refereed Conference Proceedings, p. 207-220
Beck, T., & Fovet, F. (2015) UDL Beyond the classroom – A UDL audit of disability service provision. In: J. E. Gardner & D. Hardin. Implementing Universal Design for Learning. UDL-IRN, 88-93 (In print)
Flanagan, T., Benson, F.J., & Fovet, F. (2014) A multi-perspective examination of the barriers to field-placement experiences for students with disabilities. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 7(2)
Fovet, F., Jarrett, T., Mole, H., & Syncox, D. (2014) Like fire to water: building bridging collaborations between Disability service providers and course instructors to create user friendly and resource efficient UDL implementation material. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 7(1)
Beck, T., Diaz del Castillo, P., Fovet, F., Mole, H., & Noga, B. (2014) Applying Universal Design to disability service provision: outcome analysis of a UD audit. Journal of Post-secondary Education and Disability, Vol. 27(2), pp. 209-222
(2014) Social model as catalyst for innovation in design and pedagogical change. Widening Participation through Curriculum Open University 2014 Conference Proceedings, pp. 135-139
Mole, H., & Fovet, F. (2013) UDL – From disabilities office to mainstream class: How the tools of a minority are addressing the aspirations of the student body at large. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 6, pp. 121-126.
Houghton, M. & Fovet, F. (2012) Reframing Disability, reshaping the provision of services. Communiqué, Vol. 13 (1), pp. 16-19
Beck, T., & Fovet, F. (2015) UDL Beyond the classroom – A UDL audit of disability service provision. In: J. E. Gardner & D. Hardin. Implementing Universal Design for Learning. UDL-IRN, 88-93 (In print)
Flanagan, T., Benson, F.J., & Fovet, F. (2014) A multi-perspective examination of the barriers to field-placement experiences for students with disabilities. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 7(2)
Fovet, F., Jarrett, T., Mole, H., & Syncox, D. (2014) Like fire to water: building bridging collaborations between Disability service providers and course instructors to create user friendly and resource efficient UDL implementation material. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 7(1)
Beck, T., Diaz del Castillo, P., Fovet, F., Mole, H., & Noga, B. (2014) Applying Universal Design to disability service provision: outcome analysis of a UD audit. Journal of Post-secondary Education and Disability, Vol. 27(2), pp. 209-222
(2014) Social model as catalyst for innovation in design and pedagogical change. Widening Participation through Curriculum Open University 2014 Conference Proceedings, pp. 135-139
Mole, H., & Fovet, F. (2013) UDL – From disabilities office to mainstream class: How the tools of a minority are addressing the aspirations of the student body at large. Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, Vol. 6, pp. 121-126.
Houghton, M. & Fovet, F. (2012) Reframing Disability, reshaping the provision of services. Communiqué, Vol. 13 (1), pp. 16-19
PRESS
Gomez, C. (2015) Make universal design a campuswide priority. Disability Compliance for Higher Education. Vol. 20 (8), 2–3 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dhe.30033/abstract;jsessionid=AEFA092DEA4134109C070671B2ADAFBE.f03t03?deniedAccess
CustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
Radio-Canada (2013) Quand l'éducation s'adapte – Entretien avec Catherine Perrin. Medium Large (Broadcast on September 30th, 2013) http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/medium_large/2013-2014/chronique.asp?idChronique=314527
Radio-Canada (2013) L’université pour tous. Téléjournal de Montréal. (Broadcast on August 6th, 2013) http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/telejournal_18h/2012-2013/Reportage.asp?idDoc=306672
Seidman, K. (2013) Making learning more accessible. The Montreal Gazette. (January 5th, 2013) http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/saturdayextra/story.html?id=bf651f13-6736-4be0-b60e-40cabb0986cb
Berkowitz, P. (2013) Essential skills need to be more transparent, say student services staff. University Affairs. (July 8th, 2013) http://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/essential-skills-for-academic-programs-need-to-be-more-transparent-say-student-services_staff/
Rainey, M. (2011) The state of disability accommodations on college campuses. Insight into Diversity. (December 2011)
CustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
Radio-Canada (2013) Quand l'éducation s'adapte – Entretien avec Catherine Perrin. Medium Large (Broadcast on September 30th, 2013) http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/medium_large/2013-2014/chronique.asp?idChronique=314527
Radio-Canada (2013) L’université pour tous. Téléjournal de Montréal. (Broadcast on August 6th, 2013) http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/telejournal_18h/2012-2013/Reportage.asp?idDoc=306672
Seidman, K. (2013) Making learning more accessible. The Montreal Gazette. (January 5th, 2013) http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/saturdayextra/story.html?id=bf651f13-6736-4be0-b60e-40cabb0986cb
Berkowitz, P. (2013) Essential skills need to be more transparent, say student services staff. University Affairs. (July 8th, 2013) http://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/essential-skills-for-academic-programs-need-to-be-more-transparent-say-student-services_staff/
Rainey, M. (2011) The state of disability accommodations on college campuses. Insight into Diversity. (December 2011)
