Historical, theoretical, and foundational principles of universal instructional design in higher education

In this essay, the authors provide an overview of Universal Instructional Design (UID) as an approach for addressing the learning needs of all students enrolled in institutions of higher education. They argue that the concept of universality as it is applied to instruction is an approach that will benefit not only students with disabilities, but all students. To support their argument, the authors explain the core elements of UID as well as the conceptual connections of UID to multicultural education and social justice education. They conclude the essay by framing the articles included in this special issue.