Join us in creating inclusive learning at UNSW
Get advanced access to our Toolkit for Educators
We’re getting ready to release our Toolkit for Educators to the public, but we’re offering UNSW educators exclusive, advanced access to be the first to implement it!
About the research project
UDL and Neurodiversity: A Toolkit for Unlocking Opportunities with Neurodivergent Students.
Neurodivergent students—those with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and other conditions—often face barriers in their educational environment, highlighting the need for more adaptable systems that accommodate diverse learning needs.
The impact of these barriers are often seen as student deficits, but they result from the student having to adapt because the environment won't. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive toolkit to intergrade Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into classrooms.
The toolkit has been co-designed with neurodivergent UNSW students and educators, ensuring it is practical, relevant, and truly supportive of diverse learning needs. As part of this research project, you’ll get to try out the toolkit in your Term 1, 2025 courses and provide us with valuable feedback and insights on how it works in real classroom settings.
Your participation will influence the implementation of the toolkit by helping us refine our resources and make them as effective as possible for both educators and students. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to creating more inclusive, accessible learning environments at UNSW and beyond.
What's in the Toolkit?
The Toolkit for Educators is a comprehensive collection of resources designed to help UNSW teaching staff create inclusive and accessible learning environments.
Here’s what’s included:
- 5 checklists for inclusive learning – practical tools to ensure your courses are accessible and inclusive from start to finish.
- 6 supporting videos – helpful videos that provide guidance on how to implement inclusive practices in the classroom.
- Implementation road map – a clear, actionable plan for using the toolkit effectively in your courses.
- A community of educators – a supportive network of fellow instructors who are using the toolkit and sharing their experiences.
These resources are aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL 3.0) principles, which aim to cater to the diverse learning needs of neurodivergent students, promoting accessibility and academic success for all.
What does participation involve?
By joining this research project, you will:
- Use the Toolkit in your courses during Term 1, 2025.
- Attend an onboarding session (or watch the recording).
- Complete two surveys: one before using the Toolkit and one at the end of the course.
- Participate in interviews to share your experience (optional).
This is an opportunity to directly influence how teaching practices could evolve at UNSW and highlight any barriers and challenges for educators and students in accessing the support they need to succeed.
Who is running this research?
This project is led by the Diversified team, a collective of UNSW students, staff, and academics committed to ensuring neurodivergent individuals are central to discussions that affect them.
Our team includes experts such as Professor Terry Cumming, Associate Professor Ian McArthur, Aaron Saint-James, Chantel Le Cross, Associate Professor Ian McArthur, Dr. Jess Macer-Wright, Dr. Veronica Jiang, Karen Kriss, Karin Watson and Joshua Karass. With support from UNSW Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, this research is part of UNSW’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive academic practices for all students.
Who we’re looking for
We’re not just looking for experts in inclusive teaching—we want a wide variety of educators to participate in this research project. Whether you’re just starting to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and neurodiversity or have years of experience, your perspective is incredibly valuable.
We believe that to create truly inclusive teaching practices, it’s essential to understand the diverse challenges and experiences that educators face when implementing inclusive learning practices. By gathering data from educators at all stages of their careers, we can ensure that our toolkit is effective for everyone—regardless of experience level.
We’re also seeking participants from all faculties across UNSW, as we want to capture a broad range of perspectives and experiences from different disciplines. Your feedback will help us refine the toolkit, making it applicable and beneficial to instructors from all backgrounds and areas of expertise.
So, whether you’re an early-career educator or a seasoned professional, we encourage you to get involved and share your insights. Together, we can ensure educators are supported to build a more inclusive learning environment for everyone.
Eligibility criteria
We’re seeking participation from:
- UNSW academic staff who design, convene and teach at least one undergraduate or postgraduate course.
Exclusion criteria
- Casual academic staff
Ready to join?
If you meet the criteria and are interested in participating, please sign up below to be part of this exciting project. Your voice will help us create a more inclusive, accessible teaching environment at UNSW.