Preface

Based on the number of invitations I receive to deliver presentations on the topic at conferences and campuses, the interest in applications of universal design (UD) to postsecondary education continues to grow. It seems that everyone—faculty, student service providers, technology leaders—wants to make learning environments welcoming and accessible to the entire student body, including English language learners and students with disabilities. Many have been motivated by the book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice (www.hepg.org/hep/Book/83), which was published by Harvard Education Press, and for which I am the lead author and editor. But, they want more examples of how UD is being applied to postsecondary settings—from technology resources, learning styles, physical spaces, and student services, to on-site and online instruction.

I hear many examples of applications of UD in postsecondary education. If shared and replicated by others, these practices could have more impact. Toward this goal, I have created Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices, an online book that continues to grow as further contributions are made. I invite practitioners and researchers who have applied UD in postsecondary settings to submit articles presenting evidence of their successes.

Article submissions are peer-reviewed by members of the Universal Design in Higher Education Community of Practice, which is managed by the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center that I founded and continue to direct at the University of Washington in Seattle. Accepted articles have been reviewed and edited.

The most current version of Promising Practices is freely available on the DO-IT website at www.washington.edu/doit/resources/books/universal-design-higher-education-promising-practices. It is presented as a series of accessible PDF files to make it easy for users to print or download various sections for courses, presentations, and training. To maximize distribution of content, we link articles to summaries that appear as Promising Practices in the DO-IT online Knowledge Base.

I look forward to you joining us in this collaborative work by submitting an article for possible inclusion in this publication. Follow the instructions provided in the next few pages. Together we can contribute to broadening participation in education and careers through inclusive practices, and enhancing academic and career fields with the talents and perspectives of individuals with disabilities.

Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.
Editor, Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices
Founder and Director, DO-IT Center
University of Washington

Submissions

Our Online Community of Practice

Those interested in submitting articles for this publication must become members of the Universal Design in Higher Education Community of Practice. This online community is hosted by DO-IT and is open to all interested parties. Subscribe by sending your request to doit@uw.edu.

General Guidelines

Articles can be up to twelve double-spaced pages in length, including references, tables, and figures; in 12-point, Times New Roman font; and formatted in current APA style (www.apastyle.org). Send the article as a Word document in an email attachment to doit@uw.edu. Article drafts, after a review by DO-IT staff, are shared with members of the Community of Practice for an open peer review. Authors are encouraged to share drafts of their articles with the Community of Practice for informal feedback before submission.

If determined appropriate for this collection, recommendations for editing the article will be provided to the author. The editor will make the final decision about inclusion of the material; once accepted, the paper will be copyedited and then posted online as an accessible PDF. Authors agree to give readers permission to copy and distribute their contributions for educational, noncommercial purposes, as long as the source is acknowledged.

Content Guidelines

Articles should include:

1. Title and author names and affiliations
2. Need and goal/objective for the activity/product
   Why did you undertake this UD effort?
   What did you want to accomplish?
3. Activity/product description
   What did you do?
   What was the intended audience (e.g., specific academic level/area)?
   How were UD principles/strategies incorporated?
   If available, what is the project URL?
4. Results and discussion
   How did incorporation of UD principles solve the problem identified and/or reach the goal/objective you established?
   What is evidence of impact on your intended audience?
   Why was UD an important aspect of your work?
   What were problems encountered, unintended benefits discovered, and/or lessons learned that can benefit others interested in replicating your practice?
5. Conclusion
   Why is this UD project/activity a promising practice?
   What aspects do you recommend others implement?
6. References
7. Acknowledgments
   Indicate sources of funding or other contributions you would like to acknowledge.
   Also include these statements:

   This article is part of the collection Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices, sponsored by the DO-IT Center. The content is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant #HRD-0929006. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding sources or the DO-IT Center.

   Copyright © 2013 [your name or institution]. Permission is granted to copy and distribute these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

   Reference: (in APA style). [authors]. [year]. [article title]. In S. Burgstahler (Ed.). Universal design in higher education: Promising practices. Seattle: DO-IT, University of Washington. Retrieved from www.washington.edu/doit/resources/books/universal-design-higher-education-promising-practices.

Acknowledgments

This content is part of the collection Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices, sponsored by the DO-IT Center. The content is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant #HRD-0929006. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding sources or the DO-IT Center.

Copyright © 2013 University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy and distribute these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

Reference Format for this Content

Burgstahler, S. (2013). Preface. In S. Burgstahler (Ed.). Universal design in higher education: Promising practices. Seattle: DO-IT, University of Washington. Retrieved from www.washington.edu/doit/preface-0.