Universal Design for Learning: Advancing Equity in Undergraduate Nursing Education

BackgroundIndividuals with disabilities account for at least 15% of the world's population. Students with disabilities are underrepresented in nursing due to systemic barriers, misconceptions about abilities, and rigid technical standards.PurposeThis quality improvement project describes strategies of an ongoing initiative to improve accessibility and inclusion by implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL), interprofessional collaboration, and evidence-based institutional practices.MethodsUDL served as the template to improve diversity and adopt inclusive practices in a Nursing Program in the Northeastern region of the United States. These principles facilitate flexible learning and assessment options that promote the development of academic and clinical competence. Strategies were aligned with requirements of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and state that inclusive practice can coexist with rigorous competency expectations. A grant from the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation supported a partnership between nursing and occupational therapy programs at a mid-sized university to integrate students with disabilities into the nursing curriculum. The project's primary goals included ensuring physical, instructional, and technological accessibility and revising policies that support an inclusive institutional climate.