Universal Design for Learning Supports Distance Learning for Deaf Students.

Abstract

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, teachers around the United States shifted to distance learning practically overnight. In both general education and special education, many teachers did not have tools or strategies in place to provide deaf students with accessible lessons and support. Teachers needed to change their materials quickly and clearly in order to meet the needs of all their students in the new distance format. The unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students meant that unique accommodations and solutions needed to be considered and used for the distance learning formats. In the present article, we provide an overview of the challenges schools faced in the quick move to distance learning, present the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and give some examples of ways in which UDL can benefit students who are deaf in distance learning.