About the National UDL Task Force

Comprised of more than 40 organizations, the National UDL Task Force advocates support for UDL in federal, state, and district education policy.

For more information, contact: rsabia [at] ndss [dot] org (rsabia[at]ndss[dot]org)

Mission

Promoting the use of UDL to improve academic achievement and educational opportunities for all learners.

Vision

The National UDL Task Force works to influence the Administration and Congress to adopt UDL principles in federal legislation and policy and integrate UDL into all learning settings.

Guiding Principles

• collaborative action
• inclusiveness
• flexibility
• quality
• integrity

Organizations

The following organizations are working together to promote the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to improve the achievement of ALL students, including students with disabilities.

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education www.aacte.org
Dr. Jane West, Vice President, Government and External Relations
jwest [at] aacte [dot] org (jwest[at]aacte[dot]org)

American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities www.aaidd.org
Loui Lord Nelson
lordnelson [at] raiseinc [dot] com (lordnelson[at]raiseinc[dot]com)

American Association of School Administrators www.aasa.org
Sasha Bartolf, Legislative Specialist
sbartolf [at] aasa [dot] org (spudelski[at]aasa[dot]org)

American Federation of School Administrators www.AFSAadmin.org
Nicholas J. Spina, Director, Government Affairs
nspina [at] AFSAadmin [dot] org (nspina[at]AFSAadmin[dot]org)

American Federation of Teachers www.aft.org
Lisa Thomas
lthomas [at] aft [dot] org (lthomas[at]aft[dot]org)

American Foundation for the Blind www.afb.org
Stacy Kelly
skelly [at] afb [dot] net (skelly[at]afb[dot]net)

American Institutes for Research (AIR) www.air.org
Cynthia Overton, Senior Research Analyst
coverton [at] air [dot] org (coverton[at]air[dot]org)

American Occupational Therapy Association www.aota.org
Heather Parsons, Legal Representative
hparsons [at] aota [dot] org (hparsons[at]aota[dot]org)

Sandra Schefkind, Pediatric Coordinator
sschefkind [at] aota [dot] org (sschefkind[at]aota[dot]org)

• FAQ: Occupational Therapy and Universal Design for Learning

American School Counselor Association www.schoolcounselor.org
Amanda Fitzgerald, Director of Public Policy
afitzgerald [at] schoolcounselor [dot] org (afitzgerald[at]schoolcounselor[dot]org)

Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs www.ataporg.org
Deborah Buck, Executive Director
dvbuck [at] verizon [dot] net (dvbuck[at]verizon[dot]net)

Ellin Nolan, Public Policy Consultant
enolan [at] wpllc [dot] net (enolana[at]wpllc[dot]net)

Association of Teacher Educators www.ate1.org
Dr. David Ritchey, Executive Director
dritchey [at] ate1 [dot] org (dritchey[at]ate1[dot]org)

Association of University Centers on Disabilities http://aucd.org
Kim Musheno
kmushen [at] aucd [dot] org (Kmushen[at]aucd[dot]org) 

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) www.ascd.org
David Griffith, Director, Public Policy
dgriffith [at] ascd [dot] org (dgriffith[at]ascd[dot]org)

Association on Higher Education and Disability www.ahead.org
Stephen Hamlin-Smith, Executive Director
stephan [at] ahead [dot] org (stephan[at]ahead[dot]org)

Association of University Centers on Disabilities www.aucd.org
Kim Musheno
kmusheno [at] aucd [dot] org ( kmusheno [at]ahead[dot]org)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) www.asha.org
Deborah Adamczyk, Director, School Services
dadamczyk [at] asha [dot] org (dadamczyk[at]asha[dot]org)

Susan Karr, Associate Director, School Services
skarr [at] asha [dot] org (skarr[at]asha[dot]org)

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network www.autisticadvocacy.org
Ari Ne'eman, President
aneeman [at] autisticadvocacy [dot] org (aneeman[at]autisticadvocacy[dot]org)

Autism National Committee www.autcom.org
James Butler
jbutlerac [at] gmail [dot] com (jbutlerac[at]gmail[dot]com)

Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc. www.casecec.org
Dr. Luann Purcell, Executive Director
lpurcell [at] casecec [dot] org (lpurcell[at]casecec[dot]org)

Council of Chief State School Officers www.ccsso.org
Alyssa Alton
alyssaA [at] ccsso [dot] org (alyssaA[at]ccsso[dot]org)

Council for Exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org
Deb Ziegler
debz [at] cec [dot] sped [dot] org (debz[at]cec.sped[dot]org)

Easter Seals www.easter-seals.com
Katy Neas
kneas [at] easter-seals [dot] com (kneas[at]easter-seals[dot]com)

Higher Education Consortium for Special Education www.hecse.net
Dr. Jane West
jwest [at] aacte [dot] org (jwest[at]aacte[dot]org)

Institute of Educational Leadership www.iel.org
Curtis Richards, Director of the Center for Workforce Development
richardsc [at] iel [dot] org (richardsc[at]iel[dot]org)

Learning Disabilities Association of America www.ldaamerica.org
Justine Maloney
justinelda [at] earthlink [dot] net (justinelda[at]earthlink[dot]net)

Myrna Mandlawitz
mandlawitz [at] verizon [dot] net (mandlawitz[at]verizon[dot]net)

National Association of School Psychologists www.nasponline.org
Mary Beth Klotz, Director of IDEA Projects and Technical Assistance
mbklotz [at] naspweb [dot] org (mbklotz[at]naspweb[dot]org)

National Association of Secondary School Principals www.nassp.org
Amanada Karhuse
karhusea [at] nassp [dot] org (karhusea[at]nassp[dot]org)

National Association of State Boards of Education www.nasbe.org
Ace Parsi, Deeper Learning Project Specialist
acep [at] nasbe [dot] org (acep[at]nasbe[dot]org) 

National Association of State Directors of Special Education www.nasdse.org
Nancy Reder, Deputy Executive Director
nancy [dot] reder [at] nasdse [dot] org (nancy.reder[at]nasdse[dot]org)

National Council on Independent Living http://ncil.org/
Dara Baldwin, Policy Analyst
dara [at] ncil [dot] org (dara[at]ncil[dot]org)

National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. www.ncld.org
Laura Kaloi, Public Policy Director
lkaloi [at] ncld [dot] org (lkaloi[at]ncld[dot]org)

National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities www.unco.edu/ncssd/
Dr. Kay Ferrell, Executive Director
kay [dot] ferrell [at] unco [dot] edu (kay.ferrell[at]unco[dot]edu)

National Disability Rights Network www.ndrn.org
Cindy Smith
cindy [dot] smith [at] ndrn [dot] org (cindy.smith[at]ndrn[dot]org)

National Down Syndrome Congress www.ndsccenter.org
Susan Goodman, Director, Governmental Affairs
susang1961 [at] aol [dot] com (susang1961[at]aol[dot]com)

National Down Syndrome Society www.ndss.org
Ricki Sabia, Associate Director, NDSS National Policy Center
rsabia [at] ndss [dot] org">rsabia[at]ndss[dot]org

National Education Association www.nea.org
John Riley, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Policy and Practice Department
jriley [at] nea [dot] org (jriley[at]nea[dot]org)

National PTA www.pta.org
Elizabeth S. Rorick, J.D., Senior Policy Strategist
erorick [at] pta [dot] org (erorick[at]pta[dot]org)

National School Boards Association www.nsba.org
Reginald M. Felton, Director, Federal Relations
rfelton [at] nsba [dot] org (rfelton[at]nsba[dot]org)

PACER Center www.PACER.org
Gretchen Godfrey
gretchen [dot] godfrey [at] pacer [dot] org (gretchen.godfrey[at]pacer[dot]org)

School Social Work Association of America www.sswaa.org
Myrna Mandlawitz, Director of Government Relations
mandlawitz [at] verizon [dot] net (mandlawitz[at]verizon[dot]net)

SEDL www.sedl.org
Myrna Mandlawitz  myrna [dot] mandlawitz [at] sedl [dot] org (myrna.mandlawitz[at]sedl[dot]org)

TASH www.tash.org
Barbara Trader
btrader [at] tash [dot] org (btrader[at]tash[dot]org)
Nancy Harayama
btrader [at] tash [dot] org (nancy.harayama[at]gmail[dot]com)

Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children www.tedcec.org
Dr. Jane West
jwest [at] aacte [dot] org (jwest[at]aacte[dot]org)

The Advocacy Institute www.advocacyinstitute.org
Candace Cortiella, Director
Candace [at] advocacyinstitute [dot] org (Candace[at]advocacyinstitute[dot]org)

The Arc of the United States www.thearc.org
Maureen Fitzgerald, Director, Disability Policy
fitzgerald [at] thearc [dot] org (fitzgerald[at]thearc[dot]org)

United Cerebral Palsy www.ucp.org
Paul Marchand. Staff Director, DPC
marchand [at] thedpc [dot] org (marchand[at]thedpc[dot]org)

VSA www.vsarts.org
Betty Siegel
BRSiegel [at] Kennedy-Center [dot] org (BRSiegel[at]Kennedy-Center[dot]org)

Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals Association (VECAP) www.vecap.org
Frances G. Smith, 2011 Past President
fgsmith [at] vcu [dot] edu (fgsmith[at]vcu[dot]edu)

• Position Paper: VECAP Position Paper on Universal Design for Career Assessment and Vocational Evaluation