Located a short distance north of Boston, the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) is a nonprofit education, research, and development organization that helps expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Originally founded in 1984 to provide better educational experiences for students with disabilities, CAST has broadened the field of UDL through strategic partnerships in both the public and private sectors, including research organizations, universities, government agencies, corporations, and foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The CAST staff is comprised of experts in human development, neuropsychology, instructional design, literacy instruction, learning analytics, technology design, and more who work to improve and optimize learning based on scientific insights into how humans attain knowledge. CAST has one focus: to break the barriers to learning that millions of people experience every day.