[Blindmath] MyMathLab, MATLAB and calculus I homework

[Pielaet, Jon via Blindmath]

Kent,

It's true that historically MyMathLab has been inaccessible. However, Pearson has transitioned from Flash to HTML5. In January, they asked the NFB to share the below press release about how MyMathLab now works with JAWS.

Here is that release: https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/mymathlab-jaws-news-pearson 

The update is specific to JAWS for some reason. I am guessing that this has to do with HTML5 and ARIA support.

Getting a browser that has robust support for HTML5 in Linux isn't as hard as it used to be but doing it accessibly is another thing entirely.

The last time I checked ORCA didn't work with Chromium at all and at that time Firefox didn't have the HTML5 support that is required.  

Even if you get an accessible HTML5 browser, it may not have the ARIA support that is needed to inform ORCA of changes to the dynamic content. 

There are plenty of good tools that you can use from the command line, MATLAB, Mathematica, R, and iPython but if your instruction is taking place in MyMathLab, you may be better off using a Windows machine for at least some of the time.

 I say that apologetically as a well-known Open Source advocate.

If you find something that is working well for you, or if something isn't working please share it with the list so we can all learn from your experience.


Thank you and best of luck,


Jon



Jon Pielaet

Clark College
Disability Support Services
Assistive Technology and IT Accessibility Specialist
1933 Fort Vancouver Way
Vancouver, WA 98663-3598
(360) 992-2016
(360) 992-2879 Fax
(360) 991-0901 Video Phone
jpielaet at clark.edu
http://www.clark.edu/dss


-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kent Smith via Blindmath
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 9:05 AM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Blindmath] MyMathLab, MATLAB and calculus I homework

Hello all, I am hoping to take calculus I in the fall and I have no
idea how to complete homework problem sets. All the homework is done
in MyMathLab (by Pearson), which someone told me is not accessible. If
so, does anyone know of any software that would allow me to type in
all the steps necessary to complete a problem, and then proofread with
a Braille display? I'd need software that would let me enter fraction
lines, functions, etc. with keyboard shortcuts, and I suppose it would
be nice if the software could then solve equations itself. My
preferred environment is GNU/Linux (with GNOME ORCA screenreader and
brltty driver), and I read on a post by Jared Stofflett that MATLAB
runs nicely on Linux with the GUI disabled. I've never used MATLAB, so
any insight or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kent Smith

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