From Obligation to Opportunity: Using UDL to Design Courses That Are Equally Accessible and Engaging
This session reframes accessibility as an opportunity to improve course quality and student motivation rather than a checklist to satisfy. Participants will learn how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) creates engaging, flexible learning environments that support all students, particularly those who may not request accommodations or recognize barriers. Through examples, mini case studies, and practical design strategies, attendees will explore how to identify common barriers and convert them into engaging design decisions that benefit the entire class. This presentation equips participants with simple, scalable practices that make learning more inclusive without increasing faculty workload. The goal is to help educators view accessibility and UDL as foundational to high-quality pedagogy, not a burdensome requirement.
Carla Ghanem, Maricopa Community College District, US
Dr. Carla Ghanem is an instructional designer for the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation at the Maricopa County Community College District. Her interests include course and assessment design, educational technology, usage of emerging technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Additionally, she is interested in approaches to course design leveraging hybrid, HyFlex, and online (synchronous and asynchronous) environments. Carla has been designing, developing, and facilitating courses district-wide on technology (including AI, multimedia, digital tools, etc.), learner-centered teaching practices, assessment, classroom management, etc. More recently, she has been leading district-wide accessibility efforts in alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines. She is actively engaged in professional groups worldwide, such as AI in Education, AI and Instructional Design, etc. She received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Applied Linguistics & Cultural Studies from The University of Texas at Austin, where her dissertation focused on instructors’ identities and teaching practices, specifically with regard to teaching culture. She has three M.A.s in American Studies, Applied Linguistics, and German, an M.Ed, and an M.S. in Mathematics.
