Even though Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping education at every level, students with disabilities remain an afterthought in most implementation conversations. This session bridges Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and emerging AI tools to help educators, disability service professionals, and administrators critically evaluate, adopt, and implement AI tools in their learning environments. Participants will explore how AI can expand access and reduce barriers for students with disabilities and explore how it can quietly create new ones when implemented without an equity lens. This session draws on research in inclusive education, disability studies, and emerging AI literature to move beyond surface-level AI enthusiasm and offer an honest look at what these tools mean for students with disabilities. Grounded in UDL, participants will gain a practical, student-centered.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify ways AI tools can either expand or limit access for students with disabilities when evaluated through a UDL framework across educational settings.
- Examine current or planned AI tools and policies in their own educational context to determine whether they are proactively designed to include students with disabilities or require modification to meet equity and access standards.
- Develop a practical action step for implementing or revising an AI-related practice, policy, or learning experience in their setting that centers student voice, reduces barriers, and aligns with UDL principles.