Introduction to the Universal Design Guidelines
www.nisenet.org
Section Overview
Participant Goals
1. Understand how the
guidelines were developed
and continue to develop.
2. Understand and apply the
three main concepts.
3. Understand how to use the
planning tools.
How were the UD Guidelines developed?
• The guidelines were developed
through a design charrette held
at the Museum of Science,
Boston on December 6 and 7,
2007, on behalf of NISE Net
•
(Note: A design charrette is an intensive effort to
develop a new or innovative design that takes place
over a short period of time. It involves people from a
variety of backgrounds and expertise)
• This charrettee included 4
experts from the field of UD who
have disabilities and 20 museum
professionals from a variety of
organizations
UD Guidelines: A Working Document
• The UD Guidelines are a working
document.
• The guidelines are expected to change
as we develop and test more programs
that reflect principals of UD.
• The guidelines should not be
considered exhaustive.
• While they provide many ways to design
a program, every program and situation
is different.
Three Main Concepts
Three main ideas that emerged that can be
used by museum educators to frame their
thinking while developing and implementing
inclusive museum programs.
1. Repeat and reinforce main ideas
2. Multiple entry points / ways of
engagement
3. Physical and sensory access
The Three Main Concepts
1. Repeat and reinforce main
ideas
2. Multiple entry points /
ways of engagement
3. Physical and sensory access
Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
• Why?
• Considerations:
• Developing a Program
• Designing Props & Materials
• Delivering your Presentation
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Why repeat and reinforce main ideas?
• Learners have difference preferences for
receiving information:
• Audial
• Tactile
• Visual
• Helpful for those with different attention
spans or short-term memory.
• Can relate to a disability or context of the
situation
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Considerations for Developing a Program
• Explicitly state and focus on the main
idea.
• Break down the program into distinct
pieces.
• Be explicit about this breakdown
Lets look at a few slides from the
Snowflakes: Nano at its Coolest program
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
What do you know
about snow?
Outline
• When does it snow?
• Why do snowflakes have six sides?
• Is every snowflake different?
When does it snow?
It snows when…
• It’s cold (below freezing)
• It’s cloudy (water vapor in the air)
Review
• When does it snow?
– Cold, cloudy conditions
• Why do snowflakes have six sides?
– Molecular structure of ice crystals
• Is every snowflake different?
– Temperature and humidity
Developing a Program
• Video: Tiny Solutions to Our Big Energy
Problem
oVideo
• Presenter identifies her main ideas in the
form of questions.
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Designing Props and Materials
• All information (visual,
aural, and tactile) should
support one another.
• Have hands-on elements
that can be passed
around to reinforce main
ideas.
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Designing Props and Materials
• Video: Intro to nano cart demo
• Video
• Presenter passes around tactile elements.
• There is also an accompanying PowerPoint
presentation that breaks down nano into 3
things, small, different, and useful.
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Delivering your Presentation
• Repeat key ideas.
• Use images and text for
emphasis.
• Check in with the
audience along the way.
• Next level: Offer
opportunities to preview
materials before the
program.
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Repeat and Reinforce Wrap Up
• Learners have different preferences for
receiving information:
• Audial
• Tactile
• Visual
• Helpful for those with different attention
spans or short-term memory.
• Can relate to a disability or context of
the situation
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
Questions?
UD Program Concept 1: Repeat and Reinforce Main Ideas
The Three Main Concepts
1. Repeat and reinforce main
ideas
2. Multiple entry points /
ways of engagement
3. Physical and sensory access
Multiple Ways of Engagement
• Why?
• Considerations:
• Developing a Program
• Delivering your Presentation
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
Why make multiple entry points and
multiple ways of engagement available?
• Different levels of content knowledge and
personal experiences
• Gives a wide range of visitors an avenue for
understanding
• Multiple examples provide visitors ways to
connect to the content
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
Developing a program
• Connect to a range of prior experiences
• Make it fun and engaging for all learners
• Consider multiple analogies for the same
idea
• Use examples and non-examples
• Build multiple layers into the program
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
Developing a program
Developing a program
• Video: Intro to Nano
• Video
• Presenter uses multiple examples and
analogies for explaining what “nano”
means
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
Delivering your Presentation
• Find ways to engage
audience members in the
program
• Ask questions during the
program
• Have volunteers help with
portions of your
presentation
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry
Points/Ways of Engagement
Multiple Entry Point and Engagement Wrap Up
• Different levels of content knowledge
and personal experiences
• Gives a wide range of visitors an
avenue for understanding
• Multiple examples provide visitors ways
to connect to the content
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
Questions?
UD Program Concept 2: Multiple Entry Points/Ways of Engagement
The Three Main Concepts
1. Repeat and reinforce
main ideas
2. Multiple entry points /
ways of engagement
3. Physical and sensory
access
Physical and Sensory Access
• Why?
• Considerations:
• Props & Materials
• Set Up & Prep
• Delivering your Presentation
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Why provide physical and sensory access?
• People are diverse in their abilities:
• How they can navigate an area
• How much they can hear & see
• How much they can sit or stand
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Designing Props and Materials
• Large and high-contrast text
and images
• Caption video
• Use color
• Tactile models
• Next level: Provide handouts
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory
access
Designing Props and Materials
Large and highcontrast text and
images
• Exploring Size:
Powers of Ten
Game
UD Programs Concept 3:
Physical and sensory access
Designing Props and Materials
Tactile Models
• Exploring
Products –
Nano Sand
activity
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Set Up and Prep
• Good visibility of presenter’s face
• Good visibility of materials on cart
• Don’t block your slides / demos
• Next level: Consider available seating
• Next level: ASL interpreter
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Set Up and Prep
Video: Intro to Nano – Alka-Seltzer demo
• Video
• Presenter makes sure the participants do
not block the reaction of the demo
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Delivering your Presentation
•
•
•
•
Announce accessibility options
Encourage all learners to participate
Include pauses for processing ideas
Provide auditory descriptions
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Delivering your Presentation
Use auditory descriptions of models and
images
• Video
• Presenter shows the model of the tumor
while explaining what it looks like
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
Questions?
UD Programs Concept 3: Physical and sensory access
UD Planning Tools
• Content Maps
• Planning Pyramid
• UD Program critique form
UD Planning Tools
Content Maps
• Help visitors to follow along with
presentations
• Aid memory for visitors who are receiving
all of their information aurally
• Places new vocabulary in context
UD Planning Tools: Content Maps
UD Planning Tools: Content Maps
UD Planning Tools: Content Maps
UD Planning Tools: Content Maps
Planning Pyramids
• Outline the main ideas you think everyone
should know by the end of the program
• Lists related concepts that a smaller portion
of the audience may come away with
• Helps to ensure that younger visitors,
visitors with developmental disabilities, and
content novice will learn as well as visitors
who are already familiar with the content
UD Planning Tools: Planning Pyramids
UD Planning Tools: Planning Pyramid
UD Program Critique Form
• This form is intended to
help museum educators
compare their programs
to the universal design
guidelines
• Use this as a starting
point for assessing the
inclusiveness of your
program
UD Planning Tools: Program Critique Form
Universal Design Guidelines
Repeat and reinforce main ideas and concepts
☐ Explicitly state overarching main idea and supporting
concepts visually and aurally.
☐ Present a content map (outline) visually and aurally.
☐ Actively engage visitors with the content visually,
aurally, and tactilely.
☐ Deliver one core concept at a time.
☐ Repeat core concepts frequently during the program.
☐ Punctuate the delivery of key ideas by presenting
them visually, aurally, and tactilely.
☐ Check in with the audience along the way.
☐ Provide handouts that summarize main ideas and
concepts with text and images.
Comments
Universal Design Guidelines
Comments
Provide multiple entry points and multiple ways of engagement
☐ Enable learners to enter at different places and take
away different messages.
☐ Actively engage audience members in the program.
☐ Ask questions that encourage visitors to relate the
content to their everyday life.
☐ Connect the content to a range of prior experiences and
everyday life examples.
☐ Use multiple analogies to represent the same idea.
☐ Provide examples and non-examples.
☐ Engage more than one sense with delivering jokes and
special effects.
Universal Design Guidelines
Comments
Provide physical and sensory access to all aspects of the program
☐ Provide good visibility of the presenter's face.
☐ Position the presenter so that he/she does not block
the presentation.
☐ Speak slowly and provide extra time for people to
process important ideas.
☐ Provide auditory descriptions of models and images.
☐ Make announcements that inform visitors of available
accessibility options.
☐ Position materials so the can be viewed by visitors of a
range of heights.
☐ Place all elements of the program (presenter, props,
and presentation) in a well-lit area.
☐ Use high-contrast demonstration materials and models
that can be seen at a distance.
☐ Provide tactile models that are easy to handle and
manipulate.
☐ Use color and/or tactile designs to impart meaning on
models and images.
☐ Use large, high contrast, easy-to-read text and images
for all graphics.
☐ Caption video presentations.
UD Planning Tools Wrap Up
• Content Map
• Help visitors to follow along with presentations
• Aid memory for visitors who are receiving all of their information aurally
• Places new vocabulary in context
• Planning Pyramid
•
•
•
Outline the main ideas you think everyone should know by the end of the
program
Lists related concepts that a smaller portion of the audience may come away
with
Helps to ensure that younger visitors, visitors with developmental disabilities, and
content novice will learn as well as visitors who are already familiar with the
content
• UD Critique Form
•
•
This form is intended to help museum educators compare their programs to the
universal design guidelines
Use this as a starting point for assessing the inclusiveness of your program
UD Planning Tools
Applying the Tools
• To reinforce the
information we are
going to apply the UD
program critique form
while watching the
Museum of Science,
Boston's Lightning
Show
Lightning Show
• Groups of 3 people will work together to
complete the program critique form
while watching the show
• After the show we will regroup to
discuss the strengths and weaknesses
of the stage program as they relate to
UD