Call for Special Issue Papers: Universal Design for Learning – Promise, Evidence, and Contestation

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has become a prominent framework in international discussions on inclusive education, supported by the influential CAST guidelines and increasingly embedded in policy and teacher education (CAST, 2024). Although research highlights potential benefits and advocates broader implementation (Flood et al., 2025; Almeqdad et al., 2023), critics have raised persistent questions about the scope, claims, and epistemic assumptions underpinning the framework. Concerns include whether UDL’s language of universality risks flattening cultural difference, reproducing dominant power relations, or conflating accessibility with inclusion (Lomellini & Lowenthal, 2025; Jensen & Anokwuru, 2023; Brown & Karel, 2016). Further critiques point to parallels with discredited learning styles discourse, the overextension of neuroscientific claims, and a limited base of robust empirical evidence (Norlund, 2025; Boysen, 2024; Mohammed et al., 2023).

This special issue of Educare moves beyond questions of implementation to foreground a deeper epistemological inquiry: What kind of framework is UDL, and what counts as valid evidence for its claims? Is UDL best understood as a design heuristic, a theory of learner variability, a normative inclusion paradigm, or a policy instrument travelling across contexts? We invite contributions that critically examine the epistemic foundations of UDL, including its reliance on neuroscientific discourse, its translation into measurable constructs, and the methodological standards used to evaluate its effectiveness.

We also encourage analyses of UDL’s circulation across linguistic, cultural, and institutional contexts. Originating in North American educational discourse, UDL’s claim to universality raises significant questions when the framework is introduced into systems shaped by different epistemologies, infrastructures, and sociocultural histories. How is UDL translated, adapted, or contested beyond its original policy ecology? Can it be productively hybridised with indigenous, culturally situated, or other contextually grounded approaches to inclusion?

This special issue welcomes conceptual, empirical, policy-oriented, and reflective contributions that engage UDL as both a promising framework and a contested intellectual terrain. Submissions are accepted in English, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. We particularly welcome contributions from scholars across diverse contexts and academic traditions.

The guest editor group is a truly international ensemble from Australia (Sam Vlcek), Canada (Frederic Fovet), China (Jahirul Mullick), Lithuania (Lina Garbenčiūtė), Morocco (Amal Benattou), Sweden (Pia Haggblom), USA (Kelli Suding), and Ireland (Margaret Flood).

For any queries and submission details, contact lead guest editor Dr. Margaret Flood, Maynooth University, Ireland (Margaret.Flood@mu.ie)

 

Final date for submission of papers: 15 September, 2026.

 

References

Almeqdad, Q. I., Alodat, A. M., Alquraan, M. F., Mohaidat, M. A., & Al-Makhzoomy, A. K. (2023). The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Cogent Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2218191

Boysen, G. A. (2024). A critical analysis of the research evidence behind CAST’s Universal Design for Learning guidelines. Educational Review, 76(5), 712–729. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103241255428

Brown, T., & Karel, M. (2016). Equitable but not diverse: Universal Design for Learning is not universal. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2021/equitable-but-not-diverse/

CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines, Version 3.0. CAST. https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Flood, M., Nolan, S., & Boss, F. (2025). Universal Design for Learning with Visual Thinking Strategies: Support for Learner Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression. The International Journal of Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.34874/PRSM.ijududl-vol1iss1.4988

Jensen, J & Anokwuru, J. (2023). The ‘universal’ in UDL. Learning Design Views, UBC Educational Technology Support.https://learningdesignviews.educ.ubc.ca/viewpoints/the-universal-in-udl

Lomellini, A. & Lowenthal, P. R. (2025). Universal, But for Whom? Reconsidering the Promises and Pitfalls of UDL. In Reese, R. M., & Lomellini, A. (2025). Advancing Accessibility: Practical Strategies for Instructional Designers and Educators. https://doi.org/10.59668/2204.23944

Norlund, A. (2025) ”Ovetenskapligt trendkoncept på flera lärosäten”, Universitetsläraren. Published: 26 May. https://universitetslararen.se/2025/05/26/ovetenskapligt-trendkoncept-pa-flera-larosaten/

Mohammed, S., Ali, R., & Perez, J. (2023). The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic review. Cogent Education, 10(1), 2218191. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2218191