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From Principles to Practice: Universal Design in Higher Education--A Systematic Review

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Title: From Principles to Practice: Universal Design in Higher Education--A Systematic Review
Language: English
Authors: Liesbet Saenen (ORCID 0000-0002-9569-6818), Ruth Stevens (ORCID 0000-0001-8544-023X), Katrien Hermans (ORCID 0009-0003-1803-5439), Katrien Struyven (ORCID 0000-0002-6562-2172), Elke Emmers (ORCID 0000-0001-6419-7429)
Source: Review of Education. 2026 14(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 50
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Access to Education, Higher Education, Inclusion, Educational Principles, Educational Practices
DOI: 10.1002/rev3.70129
ISSN: 2049-6613
Abstract: Inclusive education aims to ensure equal opportunities for all learners, and Universal Design (UD) offers practical and actionable principles to support this goal. As higher education increasingly embraces both physical and digital inclusive learning environments, there is a growing need to understand how UD is implemented and evaluated in these contexts. This systematic literature review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes findings from 16 empirical studies and reviews published between 2013 and 2023. The review identifies a variety of inclusive actions, such as offering multimodal learning materials, designing flexible assessments and integrating accessible technologies. These approaches illustrate the adaptability of UD principles and their relevance across disciplines and modalities. The study confirms that UD can be an effective, holistic framework for designing inclusive higher education environments. However, clear causal links between specific UD-informed actions and their corresponding outcomes are still lacking, making it difficult to assess which principles drive particular results. Furthermore, not all UD principles are addressed equally, with more emphasis placed on easily implementable aspects while others remain underexplored. These gaps point to a need for greater integration of UD across institutional levels, as well as for interdisciplinary collaboration. This review not only maps current practices but also identifies critical contextual and methodological blind spots and offers a future research agenda. It further proposes nine priority components for advancing inclusive higher education through UD, supporting teachers, researchers and policymakers alike.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504037
Database: ERIC
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  Data: From Principles to Practice: Universal Design in Higher Education--A Systematic Review
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liesbet+Saenen%22">Liesbet Saenen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9569-6818">0000-0002-9569-6818</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ruth+Stevens%22">Ruth Stevens</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8544-023X">0000-0001-8544-023X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katrien+Hermans%22">Katrien Hermans</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1803-5439">0009-0003-1803-5439</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katrien+Struyven%22">Katrien Struyven</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6562-2172">0000-0002-6562-2172</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elke+Emmers%22">Elke Emmers</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6419-7429">0000-0001-6419-7429</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Review+of+Education%22"><i>Review of Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 14(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1002/rev3.70129
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  Data: Inclusive education aims to ensure equal opportunities for all learners, and Universal Design (UD) offers practical and actionable principles to support this goal. As higher education increasingly embraces both physical and digital inclusive learning environments, there is a growing need to understand how UD is implemented and evaluated in these contexts. This systematic literature review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes findings from 16 empirical studies and reviews published between 2013 and 2023. The review identifies a variety of inclusive actions, such as offering multimodal learning materials, designing flexible assessments and integrating accessible technologies. These approaches illustrate the adaptability of UD principles and their relevance across disciplines and modalities. The study confirms that UD can be an effective, holistic framework for designing inclusive higher education environments. However, clear causal links between specific UD-informed actions and their corresponding outcomes are still lacking, making it difficult to assess which principles drive particular results. Furthermore, not all UD principles are addressed equally, with more emphasis placed on easily implementable aspects while others remain underexplored. These gaps point to a need for greater integration of UD across institutional levels, as well as for interdisciplinary collaboration. This review not only maps current practices but also identifies critical contextual and methodological blind spots and offers a future research agenda. It further proposes nine priority components for advancing inclusive higher education through UD, supporting teachers, researchers and policymakers alike.
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