Pre-service teachers should be introduced to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) early in their training to prepare them as inclusive and responsive educators. However, many teachers’ education programs in Malaysia lack structured training on UDL, limiting the capacity of future teachers to plan inclusive lessons effectively. As inclusive education becomes a national priority, integrating UDL is crucial to ensure equity, accessibility, and engagement for all learners. Guided by the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach, this paper reports findings from Phase 1: Needs Analysis, aimed at assessing the readiness of pre-service teachers to apply UDL principles, the challenges they face, and the need for a dedicated UDL training module. 111 pre-service teachers participated in a structured online survey measuring three key constructs: UDL knowledge, lesson planning skills, and attitudes toward inclusive education. Descriptive analysis indicated that knowledge of UDL was moderate, with some misconceptions still present. Skills in applying UDL strategies were also moderate, suggesting limited practical experience in designing inclusive lessons. Attitudes toward inclusive education were high, reflecting a strong openness to inclusive practices. Participants expressed a need for additional training, resources, and planning support, highlighting the demand for a structured training intervention. Based on these findings, there is a need to develop a UDL-based training module to improve pre-service teachers’ understanding, enhance their instructional design skills, and promote inclusive attitudes in line with Malaysia’s education reform initiatives. The outcomes of this need’s analysis will guide the next phase of module design and development within the DDR framework.