ADCET Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Symposium 2026

Facilitator

Dr Samantha Poulos is a feminist literary theorist with a background in first year teaching who now works to develop inclusive teaching practices and improve student engagement at the University of Sydney. They are an Educational Designer specialising in developing UDL practices and communities in tertiary institutions. Samantha is honoured to be returning as MC to the ADCET symposium this year and will continue to nurture joy and play in everything they do.

International Keynote Speakers

Lillian Nave

The Architecture of Empathy: Telling the Stories that Transform Tertiary Education 

Empathy is more than a feeling: it is a practice, a story, and a shared act of meaning‑making. This keynote explored how empathy can move beyond sentiment and into structural, cultural, and relational change. It examined how empathy becomes visible through the stories we tell, the language we use, and the ways we invite others to understand experiences different from their own. Empathy is not a soft skill but a transformative force - one that reshapes systems, expands our collective imagination, and helps create universities where every learner can thrive.

Bio

Lillian Nave is the Faculty and Educational Development Specialist for Appalachian State University’s CETLSS (pronounced like Beatles) on the Hickory campus. A former art historian who fell in love with intercultural learning, she also teaches First Year Seminar and connects her students with peers across Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is the creator and host of the Think UDL podcast, now with more than 150 episodes and over 100,000 global downloads. Through the podcast, she interviews practitioners around the world who create more accessible and engaging learning environments for their students. Lillian is a listener who delights in connecting people and ideas, and she believes deeply in the power of connection and storytelling to transform teaching and learning. Her three college‑aged children serve as her “spies,” reporting back on what does and does not work in college courses, keeping her grounded in the real student experience. When she’s not teaching, podcasting, or collaborating with faculty, Lillian is an avid hiker exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she finds inspiration, perspective, and plenty of new stories to tell.

Kavita Rao

Seen, Heard, and Supported: Leveraging Learner Assets with UDL

Every learner comes to the classroom with individual strengths and abilities, varied experiences and backgrounds, and specific interests and preferences. As educators, we can use learner variability as a starting point to design supportive and engaging learning experiences, and invite students to contribute their ideas, perspectives, and choices within the learning process.

This presentation addressed how educators can intentionally and proactively design learning environments and activities that reduce barriers, integrate supports and scaffolds, and leverage on learners’ assets. With the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, we can undertake a step-by-step process to reflect and integrate strategies to support all learners. This session explored how UDL Guidelines 3.0 promote a learner-centred approach that postsecondary faculty and administrators can use to create inclusive learning environments that support student success.

This presentation highlighted:

• Learner-centred pedagogy: Considering learner variability as a basis for student success
• Proactive Design: Using UDL 3.0 to design learning experiences that support and scaffold learning for students
• Small Steps that Make A Difference: Integrating a UDL-based design process into practice

Bio

Kavita Rao is a Professor and Director of the College of Education Research Institute at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her research and teaching focus on instructional and assistive technology, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), inclusive instructional design, online learning, and culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Kavita has conducted professional learning workshops on UDL, technology, and inclusive strategies in the US, the Pacific islands, and Asia. Kavita was the recipient of the inaugural David Rose UDL Research award in 2024. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network (UDL-IRN), chaired the UDL-IRN Research Committee, and served as a member of CAST’s UDL Rising to Equity Advisory Board.

Prior to working at the University of Hawai‘i, Kavita was an educational technology specialist at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). In this capacity, she provided professional development and technical assistance to state educational agencies and schools in Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Marianas Islands, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Kavita has extensive experience developing curriculum resources, multimedia materials, and online programs for teachers. Kavita has been a consultant for UNESCO MGIEP (New Delhi, India), supporting the development of a Digital Pedagogy course, and collaborated with the International Baccalaureate Organization on a study of UDL implementation in IB schools worldwide.