In early 2020, there was a faculty development workshop at MacEwan University on how to design philosophy writing assignments with fewer barriers commonly experienced by students with disabilities. This chapter streamlines the workshop and surveys barriers common to philosophy assignment guidelines: length, jargon, single-format, and a “don'ts” section. The authors contextualize these characteristics within the values, norms, and practices of academic philosophy. They present a case study of transforming Rodier's introductory philosophy guidelines before and after a UDL consult with Fidelak. They demonstrate the reasoning behind the transformation, including specific UDL applications and incorporating techniques from academic strategy instruction that address the hidden curriculum. In addition, they outline changes to in-class teaching that support students in completing assignments.

This chapter explores how instructional faculty can implement practical universal design for learning (UDL) strategies to reduce the amount of accommodation requests by students in post-secondary education. The authors will discuss the most common barriers post-secondary students report experiencing at MacEwan University and the accommodations typically recommended to help remove these barriers. Examples and descriptions of successful implementation of UDL practices to address these barriers are included. The chapter also highlights how the forced move to online learning, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, taught faculty members about the importance and benefits of UDL in undergraduate studies.