CTSI UDL Initiatives
CTSI is committed to advancing accessible and inclusive teaching and learning through the ongoing implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). CTSI frames this work under the tagline U Design Learning—a reminder that instructors and staff actively shape learning, and that small, intentional choices can reduce barriers and embrace learner variability. Our initiatives emphasize putting UDL into practice through reflection and collaboration.
As part of this commitment, we’ve launched a dedicated section on the CTSI website—Teaching with Universal Design for Learning at U of T—a central hub designed to support instructors, staff, and academic leaders in applying and implementing UDL-informed strategies across diverse teaching and learning contexts.
Three Interconnected Practices
At CTSI, we embed and implement UDL through three interconnected and mutually reinforcing practices:
Surface and celebrate inclusive teaching by sharing real experiences
Designing layered learning opportunities that build understanding and capacity
Embed inclusive design principles into tools, workflows, and organizational practices
Storytelling UDL Practices
Stories matter. When instructors and staff share how they implement UDL, it surfaces everyday practices, amplifies diverse voices, and demonstrates the many ways UDL takes shape across teaching and learning contexts.
Through storytelling initiatives such as UDL Conversations, UDL Express, and UDL Monitor-Side Chats, CTSI creates space for educators to reflect, connect, and share their UDL-informed practices. These gatherings highlight the day-to-day adaptations that foster accessibility, engagement, and learner agency.
At the recent Course Design Institute (CDI) Reunion, past participants reflected on how their inclusive teaching strategies have evolved. The conversations surfaced fresh examples of UDL in action and strengthened a growing community committed to accessibility and inclusion.
Storytelling remains central to growing our collective understanding of UDL—by listening to one another, making invisible practices visible, and building a shared language of inclusive design.
Scaffolding UDL Education
Instructors, teaching assistants, and staff have shared that the UDL Guidelines can sometimes feel overwhelming to interpret and apply. To support deeper engagement, CTSI and TATP have been scaffolding UDL learning opportunities across programming and resources—designed to build understanding, capacity, and confidence in applying UDL principles across diverse roles.
Recent self-paced, asynchronous resources include:
- Course Design Foundations (CDF): A seven-module program introducing inclusive course design and integrated course planning
- Syllabus Design Foundations (SDF): A three-module guide for creating inclusive, accessible, and learner-centred syllabi
- Quercus Home Page Foundations (QHPF): A two-module resource for designing an accessible and inclusive course home page in Quercus
- Active Learning Design Foundations (ALDF): A three-module program offering evidence-based strategies, examples, and activities to design and implement inclusive active learning
- UDL Course Design: Explore CTSI’s three approaches to UDL and learn how to apply them to support accessible and inclusive teaching
- UDL in Practice Strategy Libraries: Discover 15 practical, ready-to-use libraries organized through CTSI’s UDL in Practice series, including:
Each of these resources features UDL-informed examples and practical strategies, helping instructors and staff apply inclusive design principles in context.
We are also developing a new self-paced, asynchronous resource—Universal Design for Learning Foundations (UDLF)—to support instructors, teaching assistants, and staff in better understanding, exploring, and applying UDL principles in their own contexts.
In addition, the Accessibility Guidelines for Teaching and Learning page highlight UDL as a guiding framework and provide a range of strategies that support more inclusive learning experiences.
Integrating UDL Processes
CTSI is committed to embedding UDL not only in the resources we create, but also in how we work. From the tools we use to the partnerships we build, we strive to reflect UDL principles through inclusive, intentional processes.
This includes:
- Hosting staff training to deepen shared understanding of inclusive practices
- Using accessible PowerPoint and Word document templates across CTSI programs and communications
- Applying UDL-informed design to our internal documentation, resource design, event planning, and staff development
- Embedding UDL principles across Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) workshops and resources to support inclusive teaching development for graduate students and TAs
- Contributing to the Academic Toolbox, including the new category on Designing and Fostering Accessible and Inclusive Teaching and Learning
- Collaborating with divisional partners to co-develop and review resources with accessibility and inclusion in mind
These behind-the-scenes practices ensure that UDL is not just something CTSI promotes externally but something we actively implement in our day-to-day work. From web design to event planning, we integrate accessibility checks, usability standards, and inclusive feedback loops into our processes. As our practices evolve, so does our understanding of what meaningful inclusion can look like across the university.
What's Next?
CTSI’s work with UDL continues to grow through collaboration, creativity, and a shared commitment to inclusive excellence. In the coming months, we will:
- Launch a new self-paced, asynchronous resource—Universal Design for Learning Foundations (UDLF)—to support deeper understanding and application of UDL among instructors and staff
- Expand UDL-informed resources and examples across existing programs and learning opportunities
- Continue building CTSI’s UDL in Practice strategy libraries, with new pages on Designing Materials, Methods, Access, Support, and Executive Function
- Deepen internal processes and partnerships that reflect inclusive, accessible design at every level of our work
We look forward to sharing future developments as they unfold. This page will be updated regularly to highlight new stories, tools, and collaborative initiatives that continue to advance inclusive teaching and learning across U of T.
Connect With Us
UDL implementation is a collective and evolving effort. If you’d like to collaborate, share ideas, or explore how CTSI can support accessible and inclusive teaching and learning at U of T, we’d love to hear from you.
Connect with our team at ctsi.teaching@utoronto.ca, or reach out to Samantha Chang directly for UDL-specific inquiries.
U Design Learning | Teaching with Universal Design for Learning at U of T