5. OUT OF TECHNOLOGY BOUNDARY
The range and multitude of disability impairments indicate the complexity of the problem. It is even more confounding when we realize that not every individual presents every symptom, symptoms vary in intensity within individuals and within time frames, and an individual may have two or more disorders confounding the issue. It seems an impossible task to take on each symptom as a unique instructional problem to solve; or to take each individual with his or her unique set of symptoms and try to design instruction for each. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a framework to approach the problem of designing accessible materials for learners with disable impairments. Universal design comes from the field of architecture. Universal design (UD) is a design principle developed by Ron Mace, but similar concepts have evolved and been expressed in other countries. Products, buildings, services and environments developed in accordance with the principles of UD are usable by all people without the need for adaptation or specialized design, regardless of age, abilities or circumstances. While UD is an approach with implicit sup-port for the use of people with disabilities, other people benefit, too. Sidewalk curb cuts, for example, have once been designed to make sidewalks and streets accessible for people using wheelchairs, but are also beneficial for parents with prams or kids on bicycles. The same goes for low-floor busses or captions on TV, the latter being useful for everybody watching TV in a noisy environment.