Tools for Creating Accessible Math

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, Wind

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

1 Introduction

2 Overview of Math Access and MathML

3 Speaking Math

4 Displaying and Reading Accessible Math

5 Tools for Creating MathML

6 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

• 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:

z = 2 ( ) a + b

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”

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”

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:

Georgia, “radical eight”; PARCC “square root of eight”

• Navigation: browsing a complex equation

– moving by digestible chunks

• Multi-language support

8

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

Accessible math: MathML

• 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

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

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

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

• includes Math Helper, a function that

converts ASCII-math into MathML

• 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