The UDL Product Certification, developed in partnership with Digital Promise, is designed to evaluate how strongly an EdTech product’s design is aligned to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
With the increasing number of EdTech products to choose from and the usage of those products increasing every day, K-12 districts now more than ever rely on product certifications that provide the clear, transparent accessibility information needed to guide their purchasing decisions for educational tools, software, and curriculum.
Backed by over 40 years of accessibility expertise and learning research from CAST, the UDL Product Certification provides the guidance you need to successfully navigate demanding district requirements and drive student success. The foundation of the certificate is rooted in both implementation science as well as evidence from across the UDL field, and was developed in collaboration with an advisory board of of school leaders, solution providers, and implementation specialists with a variety of expert perspectives.
The UDL Product Certification helps satisfy the stringent documentation requirements for accessibility, and provides independent verification that your curriculum or product delivers meaningful learning outcomes for every student. Obtaining a UDL Product Certification showcases your commitment to proactively removing barriers to learning and offering different ways for learners to stay engaged, access learning materials, and share what they’ve discovered.
Full UDL Certification is achieved in two distinct stages through the Digital Promise certification platform. First, you’ll meet the initial Accessibility Baseline for UDL Certification requirement, and then move on to Alignment to the UDL Framework phase.
Separate applications may be required for each of your products depending on how they’re developed. Get in touch if you think this may be the case.
Additional details on each step for UDL Product Certification are found on Digital Promise, and below:
To meet this first step in UDL Certification, you must make certain information about the accessibility standards met by your product publicly available. Since 100% accessibility is an ideal goal that requires continuous improvement, certification also requires that you monitor user feedback to continuously improve your product for learners and how it aligns with standards. Among other details, completing this step includes:
In addition to the statement, you must demonstrate how you collect and utilize accessibility feedback from a diverse range of users, including those with disabilities, to inform ongoing user experience and product design. Evidence of how this feedback is reflected in product updates is also required.
Review the complete Accessibility Baseline requirements with additional details on the public accessibility statement in the Accessibility Baseline application (doc).
Note: This certification is required before a product can apply for Step 2: Alignment to the UDL Framework.
Once the initial Accessibility Baseline is met, the second phase proves its Alignment to the UDL Framework. Through deep reflection of the product, you’ll demonstrate that UDL is core to your product’s design, and how it proactively removes barriers to learning, supports learner agency, and aligns with aspects of the UDL framework. You’ll also perform a critical review and analysis of each element of your product, showing how they align with the relevant CAST UDL Guidelines to actively reduce barriers and create purposeful learner agency.
Get the full requirements and criteria in the Alignment to the UDL Framework application (doc).
The following organizations have achieved full UDL Product Certification on at least one product:
Reach out to CAST for more information about the certification process and how we can support you in developing inclusive learning products, or download a Word version of each Certification application below to review them in-depth: