Tools for Creating
Accessible Math
Presented by the DIAGRAM Center
Bryan Gould, Geoff Freed
WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
Steve Noble
University of Louisville
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Introduction
Overview of Math Access and MathML
Speaking Math
Displaying and Reading Accessible Math
Tools for Creating MathML
Q &A
Digital Image And Graphic Resources
for Accessible Materials
• 5-year Research & Development Center
• Funded by Department of Education, Office of
Special Education Programs (OSEP)
• Awarded to Benetech along with partners:
• NCAM
• U.S. Fund for DAISY
(some of) DIAGRAM Activities
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Description guidelines training
Product evaluation matrices
User survey on reading technologies
Report on metadata images
SVG and 3D printing evaluation
Audio-Tactile usability study
Poet
Standard development: content model
Collaboration with Mathematics eText
Research Center (MeTRC, U. of Oregon)
diagramcenter.org
Accessible Digital Math
DOED OSEP Recommendation
June 22, 2012
NIMAS recommends ...MathML be used to
improve the accessibility of mathematical
and scientific content in core instructional
materials ...as the most effective method of
providing accessible print instructional
materials involving mathematical and
scientific content to students who are blind
or who have print disabilities.
Pearson Higher Ed.
In 2014, every Pearson college math and stats
text will have an HTML eBook version
• Formatted in HTML
• MathML
• Alt Text (image descriptions)
• Readable by JAWS, Window-Eyes,
NVDA and other screen readers
Overview of Math Access
and MathML
universally recognized as one of greatest
achievements of the human mind and it can be
represented in the following equation:
a+ b)
(
z=2
c
2
universally recognized as one of greatest
achievements of the human mind and it can be
represented in the following equation:
IMAGE!
universally recognized as one of greatest
achievements of the human mind and it can be
represented in the following equation:
Alt Text = “z equals 2 a
plus b squared over c”
Ambiguity
z equals 2 a plus b squared over c
a+ b)
(
z=2
c
2
b
z = 2a +
c
2
fairly characterized as one of greatest
achievements of the human mind and can be
represented in the following equation:
Alt Text = “z equals 2
times the fraction open
parenthesis a plus b
close parenthesis
superscript 2 over c”
MathML
<math display='block'>
<semantics>
<mrow>
<mi>z</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>2</mn><msup>
<mrow>
<mfrac>
<mrow>
<mrow><mo>(</mo>
<mrow>
<mi>a</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>b</mi>
</mrow>
<mo>)</mo></mrow>
</mrow>
<mi>c</mi>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
Speaking Math
Speaking math: issues
• One size does not fit all – there is not just
one universal way to speak math
• In particular, the nature of a person’s
print disability will dictate some essential
parameters for effective math speech
• This is one reason why using MathML is
preferred over static alt text – the user’s
technology can use the best speech style
Speaking math: issues
• Concerns for two major populations –
blind vs. sighted with print disability
• Research studies underscore need for
unambiguous speech for blind students,
but more concise and natural (“plain
English”) speech for LD students
• Why?: Additional speech added for
disambiguation increases cognitive load
Speaking math: issues
• Example from Project SMART study
• Equation: P=2(L+W) was spoken as…
“Cap P equals two open cap L plus cap W
close”
• Although this style of speech is very
precise and useful for blind students, the
sighted LD students encountered
problems due to increased cognitive load
and unfamiliar verbalization
Speaking math: speech styles
• Simple Speech – default speech style used
in MathPlayer (modified by target setting)
• MathSpeak – specific speech style for
blind individuals accustomed to reading
Nemeth braille code
• ClearSpeak – currently in consumer
validation trials by ETS; makes extensive
use of prosody and familiar math speech
found in classroom settings
Speaking math: other issues
• K-12 Education: Instruction vs.
assessment – impact on construct validity
• Differences between State math reading
guidelines – Example: 8
Georgia, “radical eight”; PARCC “square
root of eight”
• Navigation: browsing a complex equation
– moving by digestible chunks
• Multi-language support
Displaying and Reading
Accessible Math
Accessible math: images
• Images of math are made accessible using
@alt and/or long descriptions (e.g.,
@longdesc, aria-describedby or other
markup)
• If you use images of math you must at a
minimum include @alt
Inaccessible math: images
• All images must have @alt
• decorative images are assigned null
@alt (alt=“”)
• Images that lack @alt are identified by
screen readers only by the image name
• e.g., PDF and HTML
Accessible math: images
• @alt on images is read aloud by screen
readers
• e.g., PDF and HTML
Accessible math: MathML
• MathML can be transformed and rendered
in a number of ways, offering a variety of
accessibility options
• visually
• aurally
• braille
• Accessible math means more than just
screen-reader accessibility
Accessible math: MathML
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MathML can be displayed in these browsers
without plug-ins or add-ons:
• Safari, Firefox, Opera
• math may look different from one
browser to the next
• some features of MathML may not be
supported
• no MathML in Chrome for the moment
Accessible math: MathML
• MathML can be displayed in IE 9 (not IE
10) using MathPlayer
• zooming
• speaking equations
• Braille output (e.g., Nemeth)
Accessible math: MathML
• MathML can also be displayed in any
browser using MathJax
• zooming
• Equations will look the same in any
browser
Accessible math:
MathML and screen readers
• While MathML can be displayed in many
browsers, not all screen readers will read it:
• YES, with MathPlayer:
• JAWS + IE9
• NVDA + IE9
• Window-Eyes + IE9
• these same screen-reader/browser
combinations will also read MathML
displayed using MathJax
Accessible math:
MathML and screen readers
• YES: ChromeVox + Chrome (Mac and
Windows)
• with MathJax
• native MathML
• note that while ChromeVox will read
native MathML, Chrome will not
display native MathML properly at this
time
Accessible math:
MathML and screen readers
• NO:
• JAWS/Window-Eyes/NVDA with
Firefox or Chrome, or IE when
MathPlayer is not installed
• VoiceOver with any browser
Accessible math:
MathML and iBooks Textbooks
• MathML can be added to iBooks
Textbooks using iBooks Author
• iBooks Textbooks can be read only on an
iPad
• VoiceOver will read the MathML
Accessible math:
DTBs
• Digital Talking Books (DTBs) can also
display math:
• as images:
• made accessible using @alt or long
descriptions
• as MathML
• Dolphin EasyReader
• ReadHear
Tools for Creating MathML
MathML authoring
• MathML can be authored in a variety of
ways:
• by hand using a text/HTML editor
• using special applications or plug-ins:
• MathType (plug-in for numerous
applications including Word,
InDesign and IBA)
• Firemath (Firefox add-on)
MathML authoring
• Authors can copy MathML from
MathType and Firemath and paste into
other documents
• HTML
• EPUB
• DTB
• iBooks Textbooks
• others
MathML authoring
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WAVES Toolbar (gh)
• create, edit, import,
export MathML
• full operation from
keyboard; MathML
generated as equation
is written
• equations are spoken
as they are created
MathML authoring: DTBs
• MathML can be included in DTBs using
tools such as MathDaisy
• plug-in for Word (Windows only)
• works in conjunction with Save As
Daisy and MathType
• exports DTBs with MathML
MathML authoring: DTBs
• MathML can be included in DTBs using
Poet
• Web-based image-description tool for
DTBs
• includes Math Helper, a function that
converts ASCII-math into MathML
Resources
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Math activity at the W3C
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MathML 3.0
Design Science (MathType, MathPlayer, MathDaisy)
DAISY Consortium
Firemath
MathSpeak Initiative at gh
Assistive Technology and Math Support
Creating Accessible iBooks Textbooks with iBooks Author 2.0
(info about including math in iBooks)
DIAGRAM Center
What are the Technology Issues Involved in Making Math
Accessible?
Q&A
Contact Information
Bryan Gould & Geoff Freed
WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
bryan_gould@wgbh.org, geoff_freed @wgbh.org
Steve Noble
University of Louisville
steve.noble@louisville.edu
DIAGRAM Center – Funded by Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)