[Blindmath] MathML Support

[David Andrews]

As some of you may know, JAWS 16 is in public beta.  Apparently they 
are starting support for MathML.  Below is what their new features page says:


JAWS 16 Introduces MathML Support

MathML is a language for including mathematical content on Web pages, 
enabling browsers to present math equations and formulas as they 
would appear on paper. JAWS provides spoken, natural language 
descriptions of MathML expressions, using the same terms a teacher 
would use to explain them in a classroom. There is a written, visual 
language of math, described by MathML. However, there is also a 
spoken language used when people discuss math problems. Students will 
benefit from hearing JAWS describe mathematical expressions as their 
teachers and peers do.

In addition, JAWS allows you to actively explore math content. When 
you encounter MathML on a Web page, JAWS describes the equation, 
followed by the message "math content." Pressing ENTER while focused 
on the math content opens the Math Viewer where you can study the 
equation in greater detail by doing the following:
    * To move between subcomponents at the same logical level, use 
the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys.
    * To interact with a logical subcomponent, press DOWN ARROW.
    * To return to the parent subcomponent, press UP ARROW.
    * To read all the component parts at the current logical level, 
press INSERT+UP ARROW.
    * To read the currently selected subcomponent, press NUM PAD 5 or 
INSERT+NUM PAD 5.
    * From within the Math Viewer, press ESC or ALT+F4 to exit.

At present, JAWS supports MathML content rendered by MathJax in 
Internet Explorer. MathJax is a popular JavaScript library used by 
web developers to provide a consistent look and feel for math content 
across browsers. Because JAWS relies on MathJax to get MathML, JAWS 
may be limited by the types of content it supports. For example, 
since MathJax currently does not support elementary math features, 
JAWS is also unable to render them in the browser.

For now, math content on a Web page or in the Math Viewer is only 
spoken by JAWS and is not shown in braille. In addition, the contents 
of the Math Viewer do not appear visually on the screen. These 
important features, as well as support for other browsers, will be 
added in future updates as we continue to refine MathML support.

To hear JAWS and MathML support in action, visit the 
<http://www2.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/MathML-Samples.html>MathML 
Examples page. Visit the <http://www.w3c.org/math>W3C Web site for 
more information about MathML.

Dave



         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org