CTSI UDL Initiatives

How does CTSI enact and model UDL? CTSI is committed to advancing accessible and inclusive teaching and learning through the ongoing application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Our approach to UDL is grounded in practice, reflection, and collaboration.

As part of this commitment, we’ve launched a new section on the CTSI website—Teaching with Universal Design for Learning at U of T—a central resource hub designed to support instructors, staff, and academic leaders in applying UDL-informed strategies across diverse teaching and learning contexts.

Three Interconnected Approaches

At CTSI, we embed UDL in our work through three interconnected and mutually reinforcing approaches:

Storytelling UDL Practices

We believe that stories matter. Sharing how instructors and staff implement UDL helps surface everyday practices, amplify diverse voices, and demonstrate that UDL can take many forms across different teaching and learning contexts.

Through storytelling initiatives such as UDL Conversations and UDL Monitor-side Chats, we create space for educators to reflect, connect, and share their UDL-informed approaches. These informal gatherings offer a window into the day-to-day adaptations that foster accessibility, engagement, and learner agency.

Most recently, we hosted the Course Design Institute (CDI) Reunion, which brought together past participants to reflect on how their inclusive teaching strategies have evolved over time. These conversations surfaced fresh examples of UDL in action and strengthened a growing community of instructors committed to accessibility and inclusion.

Storytelling continues to be central to how we grow our collective understanding of UDL—by listening to one another, making invisible practices visible, and building a shared language of inclusive design.

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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) has been embedding scaffolded UDL learning opportunities across our 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
Build a Welcoming Home Page in Quercus (BWHPQ): A two-module resource for designing an accessible and inclusive course home page in Quercus

Each of these programs features UDL-informed examples and practical strategies, helping instructors 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 teaching and learning environments.

In addition, the Accessibility Guidelines for Teaching and Learning page now highlights UDL as a guiding framework and shares a range of accessible teaching strategies that support more inclusive learning experiences.

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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 help ensure that UDL is not just something we support externally—but something we actively embody in our day-to-day work. As our practices evolve, so too does our understanding of what meaningful inclusion can look like across the university.

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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
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

We understand that UDL implementation is a collective and evolving effort. If you’re interested in collaborating, have ideas to share, or want to explore how CTSI can further support accessible and inclusive teaching and learning at U of T, we’d love to connect.

Start a conversation with our team at ctsi.teaching@utoronto.ca, or reach out to Samantha Chang directly for UDL-specific inquiries.