Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing the classroom learning environment to benefit students with and without disabilities. UDL was the focus of the fifth annual Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute on Saturday, April 6.

“It is in keeping with the revolutionary nature of Dr. Charles Chadwell that this year’s institute participants learned about Universal Design for Learning,” said Dr. Julia Wilkins, associate professor of education at PC. “Rather than catering to the average learner, UDL aims to optimize learning for all students and capitalize upon their diversity.

“For many participants, this concept was completely novel, and several teachers commented on how much they learned through the workshop.”

Attendees from Across the State

Educators and administrators from across the state of South Carolina joined PC’s education students and faculty for the all-day workshop.

South Carolina State University and Bob Jones University professors learned alongside teachers and administrators from Laurens County District 56, Newberry County School District, Lexington School District One, and Anderson School District Two.

Special education program coordinators, an assistant principal, a speech/language pathologist, and an IT coordinator for the State of South Carolina also attended the event. Several students from local colleges and universities attended the event to learn more about UDL.

Special Guests

Participants at this year’s institute had the honor of meeting Ann Humphries Chadwell, daughter of Dr. Charles H. Chadwell, who turns 90 this year. Ann attended the event with former colleagues and friends of Dr. Chadwell, including Dr. Kenzil Summey and Dr. Vivian Davis. They worked with Dr. Chadwell in residential services 50 years ago.

They shared stories about the impact Chadwell made on the lives of individuals with disabilities in the state of South Carolina.

Summey described how Chadwell was ahead of his time in transforming the Midlands center “from concrete tile floors to carpet, from no privacy to home-like living accommodations, from feeding to dining, from state clothes to going shopping, from total dependence to maximum independence; all these progressive seeds were planted at Midlands Center under the direction of visionary, renaissance man, thinker ‘outside-the-box’ Charles Chadwell.”

Education students Rebekah Martin, Grace Moore, Skylar Leopard, Kaitlyn Brown, Emily Colley, and Courtney Berry served on the planning committee and helped to organize and host the event.

About the Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute

The Education Department at PC began the Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute five years ago to provide information for local educators about working with individuals with disabilities.

The annual event is free to participants thanks to the Charles H. Chadwell Endowment for Special Education. The endowment was established in 1984 by Francis E. Cothran and his wife, Jean Syminton Cothran, in recognition of Dr. Charles Chadwell’s service as superintendent of the Whitten Center in Clinton.

In 1970, Dr. Chadwell transformed the Pineland Facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities into a modern treatment-oriented program that became the Midlands Regional Center. Under his leadership, the Midlands Regional Center provided infant stimulation programs, child development programs, and summer camps. Also, the center encouraged community providers to offer adult activities programs.

In 1976, Chadwell took over leadership of Whitten Center in Clinton, where he worked until his retirement. During this time, he completed the mission of returning hundreds of residents to live in their home communities, while modernizing facilities, improving staff-to-client ratios, and expanding community resources for the remaining residents.