Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy. Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology. What is Universal Design for Learning? Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching, learning, curriculum development and assessment that uses new technologies to respond to a variety of individual learner differences. IDEA 2004 defines Universal design using the same definition as the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 3002. IDEA - Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004.