As practitioners of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), educators must be mindful of our presumptions and cultural biases surrounding education. Although many strive for educational change, the cultural conceptions of education are still affected and partly defined by traditional paradigms, including narrow perceptions of success, good behavior, participation, collaboration, and the roles of teacher and student. Through mindfulness and intentionality, educators can avoid the pitfalls and stay true to UDL.

Imagine the global implementation of UDL as the making of a cloak of many woven strands. This resource will map one strand in the evolution of UDL in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Using resources and materials made during this journey, an overview of how an approach developed in the United States can have relevance and be a positive enabler for inclusion across cultures and continents, will be provided.

As schools become increasingly culturally diverse, it is critical to design learning environments that not only honor learner variability but also cultural variability. All students must feel a deep and authentic connection to education and the learning environments in which they invest their time and efforts. As known, designing flexible and accessible learning environments through the UDL framework can take UDL implementation to the next level and create culturally accessible learning environments through the UDL framework.