Accommodating Math
in Higher Ed
Gaeir Dietrich—High Tech Center Training Unit
John Gardner—ViewPlus Technologies
Neil Soiffer—Design Science
Issues for Students with
Disabilities
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Getting materials
Accessing materials
– Books
– Problem sets/worksheets
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Writing math
– Doing homework
– Taking tests
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Graphing math
Getting information in class
Accessible Textbooks
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RFB&D
Bookshare (math coming soon)
Open Educational Resources
– Accessibility varies
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Braille through ATPC/APH
AMX Database
Publishers (Pearson has K-12 math)
Science Materials

American Physical Society (APS)
– Making journals accessible
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American Chemical Society (ACS)
– Chemistry in the Community
– Talking book in DAISY (navigable audio)
format available from Bedford, Freeman
& Worth
Books on the Computer
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For individuals who need to read on-screen
Foot pedal mouse
Use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to advance
pages onscreen

Remove spine and rebind to lay flat
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Use hardware page-turning systems
Creating Large Print
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Start with PDF
Crop pages
Print to fit page (11 in. x 17 in.)
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Can tile pages
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– Portion of page enlarged to full sheet
Creating Large Print:
Starting with Word
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Use Page Layout Tab to set size
Set a larger size by either:
– Modify Normal Style to desired size
– Use ctrl-shift->

MathType tab: format equations
– Create MathType preference file
MathML
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Math with HTML
– Math is fancy text, not a picture
– <math> <msqrt> … </msqrt> </math
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Can create MathML with:
– Word+MathType
– OpenOffice
– Almost all math editors/applications
InftyReader for OCR

OCR for mathematics
– Math is not a picture, it’s fancy text
– Sometimes tricky: math or text?
– Only InftyReader handles math
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Input: TIFF or PDF files
InftyEditor: for fixing OCR errors
From PDF to Word…

PDF file
– Math is generally inserted as pictures
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OCR with InftyReader
– Original PDF
– InftyReader
– InftyEditor: IML File Editing
– Word File
– Fixed up Word File
From Word to Braille
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Nemeth Code is Math Braille Code
Word+MathType+
– Tiger Software Suite
– Duxbury
From Word to the Web
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Web pages w/MathML
– Our fully cooked Web Page
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AT+MathPlayer
– Screen readers
– Screen enlargers
– LD
From Word to DAISY
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MathDAISY
– Word+MathType+MathDaisy
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Math Daisy Players
– ghBraille Player (Win), ReadHear (Mac)
– Dolphin Easy Reader
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Our full cooked Daisy Book
OpenOffice
From You to Word
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Word+MathType
MathType
– Full keyboard access
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Conversion to/from LaTeX Math
– Example homework
MathTrax
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Free from NASA
– Verbal description of graph + Sonification
AGC Software Calculator
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Audio Graphing Calculator
– Computer software, talks
– Graphs can be printed on Tiger or PIAF
Graphics in Dots
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Tiger Embosser
– Embosses graphics in raised dots
PIAF “Pictures in a Flash”
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Uses microcapsule paper
– Can start from any computer file
– Can draw on the paper
Graphics with IVEO
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Pictures that talk
DotsPlus on the Tiger
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Requires Word and MathType and a
Tiger embosser
Can also print from MathPlayer
Nemeth on the Tiger
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Tiger Software Suite (TSS) uses
LibLouis
Start with Word and set equations
with MathType
The TSS Word plug-in will translate
Print to braille with Tiger embosser
Nemeth with DBT
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Can set math equations with Scientific
Notebook or MathType in Word
Take into Duxbury Braille Translation
Software (DBT)
Not perfect!
– Knowledge of Nemeth math braille and
proofreading required
Braille Alert!
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Not all braille readers can read
Nemeth math braille
– Make sure you ask!
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Students who say they read “Grade
One Braille” will not know Nemeth
Backtranslation
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Nemeth to print
Nemetex
Not perfect! Will require sighted
proofreading.
Writing Math
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Keyboard entry
– MathType (plug-in for Word)
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Chatty Infty
LaTeX with a screenreader
MathTalk allows voice entry
– Requires the MathTalk program,
Dragon NaturallySpeaking and Scientific
Notebook
Free Statistics Software
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R Project for Statistical Computing
Use command line to enter statistics
Handheld Calculators
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Many handheld calculators available
From basic math to scientific math and
statistics
Other Tactile Strategies
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Magnet boards
– Letters and numbers can be purchased
– Symbols can be cut from magnetic sheets
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MathWindow
Raised Line Drawing Kit
Corkboard for graphics
– Glue thread to make a grid
– Push-pins and string for graphing
Be Creative!
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Manipulatives
– Many standard K-12 manipulatives will
work
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WikiStixs
Collage
– Puff paint
– Cut-outs
– Real objects
Instructor Suggestions
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Face the students
– Do not talk facing the board
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Repeat student questions
– A deaf student may not have been looking at the
questioner
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Make sure you can be seen clearly
– Do not stand and talk in front of a bright window
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Use gestures
– Pointing to what you’re talking about is helpful
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Build in pauses
– Deaf students do a lot of multi-tasking, allow some pauses
Use Meaningful Words
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Use specific language
– Blind students will not know what “this thing here is”
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Use concrete terms
Meaningless!
– “Here is the equation.”
– “We start with the equation and factor.”
– “Set both factors equal to zero and solve to get the
result.”
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Avoid
– This, that, here, there, thing
Thank you!
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For more information
– See our resource list
– Available on the CSUN Web site
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Please complete evaluation sheet.