Two Organizations, One Question: What Does Every Learner Need?

This spring, CAST and CALIE partnered to bring Universal Design for Learning to the center of Spring CUE 2026 in Palm Springs, CA. UDL-Con California was a featured program at one of the state’s largest gatherings of classroom teachers, instructional coaches, IT leaders, and district administrators to tackle the systemic challenges that matter most at Spring CUE, powered by CALIE.

Sessions ran throughout the conference, many led by CAST experts. A pre-conference workshop on March 18 gave participants a hands-on introduction to UDL tools and strategies for designing learning that works for every student.

We asked staff from both organizations the same questions about what this collaboration made possible. Here is what they said.

What makes this partnership work, and should it set a precedent?

CAST

Spring CUE created a real opportunity to connect with educators and innovators who share CAST’s commitment to UDL. The intersection of UDL and technology is especially powerful. Technology has an unprecedented ability to increase access and support learner agency when it is accessible and thoughtfully designed. That has been central to CAST’s work since the 1980s, and it continues to drive our mission today.

Partnerships like this are not just valuable. They model what is possible when organizations align around a shared goal: designing learning experiences that work for each learner from the start.

CALIE

Bringing the Spring CUE and UDL-Con communities together created a space for educators to explore how accessibility, instructional design, learner variability, and technology connect in practice. What made this work was a shared belief that educators are the key to designing meaningful, student-centered learning experiences. CAST’s leadership in UDL helped deepen those conversations and gave educators practical frameworks they could apply immediately.

The challenges facing education are too interconnected for organizations to work independently. Partnerships like this allow us to create more cohesive, forward-thinking learning experiences for educators while building stronger bridges between research, instructional practice, and innovation.

The challenges facing education are too interconnected for organizations to work independently.

Why is UDL so important for today and tomorrow’s learners?

CAST

As education shifts from acquiring information to developing learner expertise, the need for flexible learning environments has never been greater. Learners must be able to plan, navigate, and monitor their own progress in order to thrive in a rapidly changing world. UDL provides a framework for designing those environments — one that anticipates variability rather than retrofitting for it.

Technology plays a critical role in making this vision scalable. When used intentionally, it allows us to design for variability in ways that were not previously possible. The future development of digital educational materials, including AI integration, makes this work both urgent and exciting.

CALIE

As technology, AI, and access to information rapidly evolve, educators play a critical role in designing learning experiences that foster curiosity, agency, critical thinking, and meaningful participation for every learner. At CALIE, we know educators cannot do this work alone. They need ongoing support, collaboration, and opportunities to learn alongside one another as they navigate changing technologies, learner needs, and instructional practices.

UDL provides a powerful foundation for creating more flexible and inclusive learning environments. And thoughtful use of technology can help expand access and deepen learning opportunities for all students.

What were your highlights at Spring CUE 2026?

CAST

One of the most powerful aspects of the conference was connecting with educators from across the country who are actively engaged in this work. A particularly exciting takeaway was seeing how many companies are beginning to prioritize accessibility in the design of their K-12 products and services. When accessibility is built in from the start, it benefits all learners.

I also had the chance to co-lead a session on district-wide UDL implementation alongside partners from Palm Springs Unified School District, sharing four years of work with a room full of educators committed to the same goals. That was a meaningful highlight.

CALIE

One of the clearest highlights was the level of educator interest in conversations around UDL, accessibility, learner variability, and intentional instructional design. UDL-focused sessions filled quickly, and many educators specifically shared that they appreciated seeing a stronger balance between AI, innovation, and inclusive learning design rather than technology presented in isolation.

For me personally, this partnership represented the continuation of work I began supporting UDL implementation in my own district. Bringing CAST into partnership with CALIE and embedding UDL more intentionally across our organization felt like an important milestone, not just for the event, but for a broader vision of helping educators create more accessible, student-centered learning experiences at scale.

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