Implementing Universal Design Principles in Music Teaching

Students with disabilities (SWDs) in the United States have a right to the least restrictive learning environment as enshrined in federal law. Until recently, conceptions about educating SWDs have drawn from medical models of disability (i.e., that the student must be accommodated to interact with the environment) rather than a social model of disability (i.e., that the environment can be cultivated for all kinds of individual needs). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that music educators can use to shift their planning and instructional practices surrounding SWDs to encompass a social model of disability. Here, we define UDL principles, describe UDL implementation in music classroom contexts, and provide resources for further reading.