As OER and Universal Design for Learning grow, many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to be excluded from Open Education conversations. As inclusion opportunities grow in post-secondary education, this exclusion represents a missed opportunity to align open education values with real learner lived experiences.
This session explores how to meaningfully include adults with IDD in the creation, use, and evaluation of OER. Participants will learn practical strategies for designing OER that support cognitive accessibility, plain language, and real-world relevance, while centering lived experience and ethical co-creation. Drawing from UDL practices, attendees will leave with concrete ideas for expanding OER to better serve adult learners with IDD.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Describe key gaps in accessibility practices and the learning needs of post-secondary adults with IDD.
- Identify concrete design principles that support cognitive accessibility and usability in OER for adult learners.
- Apply inclusive OER strategies that could apply to workforce or higher ed programs.
