I am passionate about creating environments and experiences that work for all, through the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, the selection of appropriate assistive technology for those students who need it to address barriers to learning and employment, and the authoring of accessible content.

Since 2018, I’ve worked at CAST, the originators of the UDL framework and the CAST UDL Guidelines. I was a technical assistance specialist for the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM Center), a federally-funded technical assistance center that focused on assisting states and districts to develop robust systems for the timely delivery of high-quality instructional materials for students with disabilities. Some of the resources I had a hand in creating included:

Currently, I am embedded within CAST’s Postsecondary and Workforce Development group, where I champion efforts to increase access to middle- and high-income careers for everyone, including people with disabilities. I teach two courses for CAST: Introduction to Universal Design for Learning and Supporting UDL Implementation in Postsecondary Education. You can learn more about these courses on the CAST Courses page. I am also a co-host of our CAST podcast, The Learning Experience, with new episodes launching monthly.

I am the Principal Investigator for the Center for Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) at CAST, which aims to empower school districts to build and maintain technology systems that include every student, particularly children and youth with disabilities who require assistive technology and accessible materials.

I am especially interested in efforts to make STEM education more accessible to everyone, as this was an area of challenge for me as I went through my education and I don’t want others to face the same barriers. In that spirit, I’m a Co-Principal Investigator for the Resource Collaborative for Immersive Technologies (RECITE) and KonnectXR, two National Science Foundation projects that seek to improve STEM technical education through the accelerated adoption of extended reality technologies. My work also focuses on the responsible, ethical and inclusive use of AI to support learning and employment. I spoke about this topic on a recent episode of the Reid Connect-Ed Podcast, hosted by my friend and colleague Alexis Reid and her brother Dr. Gerald Reid.

In 2020, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) awarded me a Making IT Happen Award. My story was one of several featured in the March 2109 issue of  ISTE’s Empowered Learner Magazine (Being the change we seek: How diverse voices strengthen schools). I have also been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator (2009) and Google in Education Certified Innovator (2014), and I currently serve as a strand co-advisor for the Workplace and AT strand of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA). 

In addition to technology and accessibility, another passion of mine is photography, with birds being my primary focus. You can find my latest photos on my Instagram feed.

AI Generated Cartoon showing Luis holding his Sony camera while out photographing birds at the beach