Redefining Neuro-Inclusive, Stakeholder-Informed Language Assessment in UK Higher Education

This chapter argues for a stakeholder-informed Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to reform language assessment in UK higher education, ensuring equity for both neurodivergent and neurotypical learners. Through a hybrid systematic–narrative review (2010–2024), we interrogate UDL-aligned alternatives—multimodal tasks, iterative portfolios, formative feedback cycles, and culturally responsive methods—highlighting their promise alongside resource constraints, scalability challenges, and persistent institutional inertia. We scrutinize the roles of institutional leaders, academic staff, disability specialists, neurodivergent students, and community advocates in moving from superficial accommodations to genuinely inclusive design and propose strategic reforms in professional development, policy, and quality assurance. This roadmap challenges stakeholders to dismantle entrenched barriers and embed equity-driven assessment practices that celebrate cognitive diversity.