[Blindmath] Ways to create math solutions for sighted instructors

Thu Aug 18 00:03:32 UTC 2016

Hello!

I've got a chapter to share! Bare with me, this is a long one...

You can try Pearson's Accessible Equation Editor: http://accessibility.pearson.com/mathex-app/
- It's web based and works with NVDA and/or a braillenote. Instructors can interact with visually disabled students studying math. NVDA sometimes needs to be restarted if it becomes unresponsive. Oh, who am I kidding, it needs to be restarted often. The engineer at Pearson is working with a blind student to ensure the math equations are correct. 

There's the MathML cloud tool: https://www.mathmlcloud.org/#/how-to-use-this-tool
- This tool will convert single math equations written in LaTeX, ASCII, or MathML and convert them into other accessible formats. The link I've provided takes you to the "How to use this tool" page for those of you wanting to sign up with a developer account (look for the "register" link) to get access to their API and convert large numbers of files all at once. 

There's also WAVES, called JSWAVES, for math input and output available on GitHub (A collaboration with gh and the DIAGRAM center): https://github.com/gh-accessibility/WAVES-Token-Toolbar
- I haven't tried this one as of yet so I can't comment on its use, but I trust the groups who put it together. In fact, gh was the company who distributes MathHear...so there's that. Maybe it's time for me to try it out...

If you need additional information on math and screenreader support, try the Math Support Finder: http://msf.mathmlcloud.org/
- enter in your preferred screenreader in the dropdown menu and the tool will provide you with formats available to be used with the tool and what plugins are needed. 

For online Learning Management Systems, or for an alternative to typing math equations within a web browser, then you may want to consider wiris: http://www.wiris.com/editor/demo/en/
- It can be a little complicated to navigate, but there is a "MathML and LaTeX" link as well as an "Accessibility" link. The MathML and LaTeX link allows users to enter math with an accessible, but complex, onscreen math keyboard. Or users can enter their math in MathML or LaTeX and have it displayed graphically. To access the editor after accessing the MathML and LaTeX link, look for the form fields "Unlabeled3 Edit" for MathML and "Unlabeled4 Edit" for LaTeX. All the rest of the buttons are tagged correctly. The accessibility link provides alt text for the math equation entered which could be used with an image. The 2 drawbacks to wiris are that it likes to place \textstyle and \displaystyle to alter how some of the math symbols are displayed and the second issue is that it will auto terminate subscripts within a fraction while other automated converters require you to surround the sub/super scripts within curly brackets. 

Lastly, MathJax may be of interest. You can create a document and save into HTML using the math code of your choice. Then edit the HTML document in notepad and enter one line of javascript code within the header tag to convert your LaTeX, TeX, MathML, or asciimath into an accessible math equation read aloud by screenreaders. Windows users may need to install mathplayer, and alter their browsers math renderer settings to MathML (default is HTML Common), but it allows you to navigate through the equation instead of listening to the whole thing in one go. It just works on OSX devices using voiceover, and it plays well on iOS devices, but the page can't be local and must be hosted on a server (unless someone has some tips on accessing local HTML files within a mobile browser). Try it out at https://www.mathjax.org.

The great thing about MathJax is that you can wrap your displayed math equations with 2 dollar signs at both ends of the equation, or instead using \[ and \] if the dollar signs are a bother, AND wrapping in-line math with \( and \) for the conversions to work properly. This also works in Google Docs using an automated LaTeX converter plug-in, but it converts all the equations into images instead of accessible math. But unlike other tools, it will convert all equations within a document all at once and not one at a time. 

JAVASCRIPT CODE:
<script type="text/javascript" async
  src="https://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js?config=TeX-MML-AM_CHTML">
</script>

Please note that this renders ALL math. There are other MathJax converters which cater to one type of math code to make it more reliable. You can find out more about MathJax settings here: http://docs.mathjax.org/en/latest/start.html

I find that I had the best experiences were using NVDA and Firefox on PC, Safari and VoiceOver on Mac and iPhone. 

I hope this helps!

Best, 

Joshua Hori
Accessible Technology Analyst
University of California, Davis
Student Disability Center
54 Cowell Building
Davis, CA 95616

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Russell Solowoniuk via Blindmath
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2016 1:47 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Russell Solowoniuk <SolowoniukR at macewan.ca>
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Ways to create math solutions for sighted instructors

Hi Steve,

Thanks so much. I'll check these out!

Best regards,

Russell

Russell Solowoniuk
AT Educational Assistant, Services to Students with Disabilities MacEwan University
7-198 D4, 10700-104 Ave.
Edmonton, AB  T5J 4S2
E: solowoniukr at macewan.ca
T:  780-497-5826
F:  780-497-4018
macewan.ca
This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential, personal, and/or privileged information.  Please contact me immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it.  Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed. 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

>>> Steve Noble via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> 2016-08-17 2:32 PM 
>>> >>>
One possibility would be using MathHear: https://www.gh-accessibility.com/software/mathhear
There's a free 30-day demo available if you want to try it out.

Another possibility is ChattyInfty: http://www.sciaccess.net/en/ChattyInfty/ 

Just a couple of tools to add to your list for investigation.

--Steve Noble
steve.noble at louisville.edu
502-969-3088
http://louisville.academia.edu/SteveNoble 

________________________________________
From: Blindmath [blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Russell Solowoniuk via Blindmath [blindmath at nfbnet.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2016 2:51 PM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org 
Cc: Russell Solowoniuk
Subject: [Blindmath] Ways to create math solutions for sighted instructors

Hi everyone,

We are supporting a student who is blind and taking Math 099. We are trying to figure out a way for the student to complete assignments and print them out in a format that a sighted instructor is able to read and comprehend. The student will be working on things like quadratic equations.

The student does use nemeth. He has a BrailleNote Apex QT. The problem with printing from the Apex is that things like superscript, subscript, fractions, etc. are written out as (superscript) 2 (endscript), (subscript) 2 (endscript) (open frac) 1Over 2 (close frac) etc.

Is there a method of working with math for the blind that will allow the material to be exported to a format that is easy to understand for sighted instructors?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Russell

Russell Solowoniuk
AT Educational Assistant, Services to Students with Disabilities
MacEwan University
7-198 D4, 10700-104 Ave.
Edmonton, AB  T5J 4S2
E: solowoniukr at macewan.ca 
T:  780-497-5826
F:  780-497-4018
macewan.ca
This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential, personal, and/or privileged information.  Please contact me immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it.  Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

_______________________________________________
Blindmath mailing list
Blindmath at nfbnet.org 
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nfbnet.org_mailman_listinfo_blindmath-5Fnfbnet.org&d=AwICAg&c=SgMrq23dbjbGX6e0ZsSHgEZX6A4IAf1SO3AJ2bNrHlk&r=4WMck1ZVLo4tV0IVllcBNKXCSGU6lUERtx_4HD4DqmE&m=f5I7R6cUxjacSQxIJHwOuUr6N0REyISM6rM3bWhatk8&s=RyDBXQhksQQ_QBdmL4Rls4JFvEap5Zxzngtjbc7PcC0&e= 
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Blindmath:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nfbnet.org_mailman_options_blindmath-5Fnfbnet.org_steve.noble-2540louisville.edu&d=AwICAg&c=SgMrq23dbjbGX6e0ZsSHgEZX6A4IAf1SO3AJ2bNrHlk&r=4WMck1ZVLo4tV0IVllcBNKXCSGU6lUERtx_4HD4DqmE&m=f5I7R6cUxjacSQxIJHwOuUr6N0REyISM6rM3bWhatk8&s=_ccBKxpEO0Kox9u-FPujopwFflB46stRvi5soRm4yw0&e= 
BlindMath Gems can be found at <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.blindscience.org_blindmath-2Dgems-2Dhome&d=AwICAg&c=SgMrq23dbjbGX6e0ZsSHgEZX6A4IAf1SO3AJ2bNrHlk&r=4WMck1ZVLo4tV0IVllcBNKXCSGU6lUERtx_4HD4DqmE&m=f5I7R6cUxjacSQxIJHwOuUr6N0REyISM6rM3bWhatk8&s=pox6nLbtwop7YVDFgcvTtsFFMDnobWytGVjntM1WHpI&e= >
_______________________________________________
Blindmath mailing list
Blindmath at nfbnet.org 
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org 
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Blindmath:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/solowoniukr%40macewan.ca 
BlindMath Gems can be found at <http://www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home>

_______________________________________________
Blindmath mailing list
Blindmath at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Blindmath:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/jhori%40ucdavis.edu
BlindMath Gems can be found at <http://www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home>