Should I try a student-centered approach, which handles specific accommodations as they arise?
Universal Design anticipates the needs of a diverse range of users before needs arise. As such, it is recommended that WPAs and composition instructors create multimodal assignments using the principles of universal design to minimize the number of unique accommodations an instructor has to make (added benefit that this will save the composition instructor time in the long-run, as they minimize the number of unique accommodations they have to make).
Nevertheless, implementing the principles of Universal Design does not eliminate the need to respond to student needs, as they arise. While Universal Design does offer an approach to anticipating students’ needs, it is not a complete failsafe for accessibility issues. As a result, it is best to keep an ongoing dialogue with all students to ensure that they can access both the educational and material resources necessary to achieve learning outcomes for composing multimodally.