CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)

At UDL-Con later this month, we'll celebrate educators and researchers shaping the future of Universal Design for Learning. The 2026 UDL Award recipients represent more than two decades of work, each advancing UDL in ways that are practical, scalable, and deeply impactful. Anne Meyer UDL Design Award — Vineeta Garg and Gunjan Tomar, founders of Wellbeing Mantras, have equipped more than 25,000 educators across 10 countries to design for learner variability, reaching an estimated 8 million students. David Rose UDL Research Award — Sean J Smith, Ph.D., professor at The University of Kansas, has spent more than two decades translating UDL research into practical, scalable solutions that support educators and learners worldwide. UDL Innovative Practice Award — Paul D. Miller, Ed.D., Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Montgomery College, created the CLEAR Framework, a replicable model that helps educators move from awareness of UDL to meaningful implementation across a campus of more than 44,000 students. Learn more about this year's honorees and register to join us as we celebrate them at UDL-Con July 21–22. 🔗 UDL Awards: https://lnkd.in/gisdTzXi 🔗 UDL-Con: https://udlcon.cast.org/

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) can’t wait to learn more from our ReadSpeaker partners!

We've spent four decades working on how to make learning environments work for every student. Recently, that work extended into a new resource developed with five other organizations in the education technology sector. The EdTech Quality Collaborative—1EdTech, CAST, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking ), Digital Promise, ISTE, and SETDA—has published the EdTech Quality Indicators Guide, a practical resource for district leaders evaluating, piloting, and procuring classroom technology. It's organized around five shared indicators: safe, evidence-based, inclusive, usable, and interoperable, with a six-step process and templates covering everything from needs assessments to vendor screening to post-rollout review. The guide points to a real gap: districts access close to 3,000 distinct edtech products in a single school year, and an estimated 65% of purchased licenses go unused. The goal is fewer isolated purchasing decisions and more shared, trusted signals districts can rely on. Our contribution to the coalition has centered on designing edtech around learner variability from the outset, so accessibility and Universal Design for Learning are part of the procurement conversation from the beginning, not an afterthought. Christine Fox, our chief growth and innovation officer and project lead for the coalition, will continue this conversation at UDL-Con this month in a session on quality instructional materials at scale, alongside Monica Watts, AJ F., Carla Wade, and Dorann Avey. More on the guide, the announcement, and our role in the collaborative: Our project page: https://lnkd.in/etMVWeyk Guide: https://lnkd.in/e5VCejUy Press release: https://lnkd.in/eExQRDkN UDL-Con session: https://udlcon.cast.org/

Two weeks out, and we're looking forward to this one. On July 22, CAST staff—including our chief research officer, senior accessibility director, and professional learning team—will be available for a live Ask Me Anything. It's a rare chance to bring your real questions to the people doing this work every day. That's one session. There are dozens more. Browse the full schedule for July 21–22: https://lnkd.in/erv7qibf

The CAST UDL Guidelines™ have always been a living tool. Version 3.0 is the fifth iteration in their continued evolution and the most significant expansion since their first publication in 2008, grounded in a participatory, research-based process that centered the voices of those most affected by the design of learning environments. This expanded version aims to fulfill the promise of the Guidelines as a resource to guide the design of learning experiences that reduce barriers and more fully honor and value every learner. The full story is now published in the International Journal for Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, and we're grateful to every educator, researcher, and young person who made it what it is. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e7ZtKSNy Explore the Guidelines: https://lnkd.in/eYESFHyQ

"Every brain is as unique as our fingerprints." That's how Christine Fox, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer at CAST, frames learner variability in a recent episode of EduTalk Radio. The idea shapes everything else in the conversation: if no two learners process, engage, or communicate the same way, then designing for an "average" student was never going to work. Christine and Niel Albero, Professional Learning Specialist at CAST, join host David Cicero to talk through what Universal Design for Learning looks like when that premise is taken seriously. One shift stands out: instead of asking what a student needs to overcome a barrier, UDL asks educators to look for the barrier in the curriculum itself. Tune in: BE Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eFMugq3M Apple: https://lnkd.in/eehBeHZR Amazon: https://lnkd.in/e6ewDdbQ

A partnership with purpose! 💙 🤝 We're joining forces with CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) to help make learning more accessible, inclusive and empowering for every student. Watch this space... 👀

One idea from my conversation with CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) has stayed with me: Accessibility shouldn't be something we add after students struggle—it's something we should design for from the very beginning. In the latest episode of Education Talk Radio, Christine Fox and Niel Albero from CAST join me to explore Universal Design for Learning, learner variability, and what it means to design classrooms where more students can thrive. 🎙️ Listen here: https://lnkd.in/g8Yyn4WD If UDL is a topic you're exploring, be sure to listen through the end of the episode for a UDL-Con Live Online conference discount code courtesy of CAST. #UniversalDesignForLearning #Accessibility #EdLeadership #InclusiveEducation #CAST_UDL

The best part of ISTE is always the people. This week in Orlando reminded us why we keep showing up to these gatherings. The questions that drove our sessions—when does technology improve learning, who benefits, and how do we design with every student in mind—are the same questions we heard echoing in hallways, over coffee, and at dinner. UDL and accessibility were not side conversations this week. They were central ones. We kicked things off at the Solutions Summit, hosted our inclusive design breakfast, held a full day of presentations and panels, recorded a live episode of The Learning Experience right on the convention floor, and enjoyed celebrating all the great brands that have earned their CAST UDL Product Certification. The week sped by! We are leaving Orlando grateful for the conversations, for the people who sought us out, and for every moment that reminded us that until learning has no limits, there is more work to do together. 📷: Lindsay Jones, Christine Fox, Luis Perez, CPWA, Michelle Soriano, Ed.M., CPACC, Jennifer Womble, Roxanne Figueroa, Dr. Janette Camacho, Joyce Whitby (She/Her/Ella), Mia L., Dr. Rayna Freedman, Mike Marotta, Lindy Hockenbary, Colleen Sandquist, Kris Astle, Leanna Prater, Zoe Bergeal, James DeGrassi, Iris Valle, Dr. Lala Zhang, Barbara Sallaz, Kristina Lewis, Alaina Haws, Krystle M., Maya Israel, Lynette Dickerson, Jamie Meola Saponaro, M.Ed., Lisa D., stefano vescio, Elena Martelli, Jacquie Gardy, Kim Zajac, Kristen Brooks M.Ed, April Chamberlain, Lisa Berghoff M.Ed., Matthew Winters, Rick Gaisford