[Blindmath] Equation editor

[John Gardner]

Hello all, we keep hearing from people who need to create math readable by sighted people. Back translation of braille is too fragile to make braille a practical option, but there are several good ways:
* Use Latex. Lots of sighted people write their papers and even smaller things using LaTeX. For decades it was the best choice for blind people Who need to write something readable by sighted people. Disadvantage is that Latex is verbose and clumsy. It is really hard to use Latex for doing algebra homework for example. And Latex must be compiled to make a version for sighted readers, and this version is inaccessible, so you cannot easily proof for either logical or compilation errors.
* Use mathType and input equations in Latex. Advantage is that only the math must be written in Latex, and it compiles itself into the very popular Word+MathType form. But it is still easy to make errors that you cannot easily find.
* Use MathType and compose equations in LEAN. LEAN is something I wrote myself, and it works extremely well in audio, but the current version has bugs in the braille output. Write me if you'd like to join the beta list and use it in audio. Much more compact than Latex - I find I can write math faster than any sighted person using any computer application (but not as fast as a person using a pencil yet. LEAN is free for blind users.
* Use ChattyInfty. Available from the Japanese Infty group at their commercial web site:
http://www.sciaccess.net
Chatty works well and can output in several formats including MS Word. But it is expensive.
* Write in source MathML. You have to be absolutely crazy to do this.

There was a question about WinTriangle, so let me tell you about it. My group wrote this application about 20 years ago as part of a research project. It displayed math in a linear form that was reasonably easy for a sighted person to read. It was used very effectively by a few students of that era including a blind Physics student at Oregon State and by several sighted people who interacted with him. WinTriangle was the best we could do at the time. Don't even think about using it today. LEAN is the replacement.

John Gardner

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Louis Maher via Blindmath
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 6:09 AM
To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics' <blindmath at nfbnet.org>; 'Jaws Users' <jaws-users-list at jaws-users.com>; 'Jaws List' <jfw at groups.io>
Cc: Louis Maher <ljmaher at swbell.net>
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Equation editor

Anna,

You can if you purchase MathType from Design Science (http://www.dessci.com).  It costs around $70.

If you are blind, you will have to learn some Latex to enter the equations (http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~dwilkins/LaTeXPrimer/).






Regards
Louis Maher
Phone: 713-444-7838
E-mail: ljmaher at swbell.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anna via Blindmath
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 9:15 PM
To: Jaws Users <jaws-users-list at jaws-users.com>; Jaws List <jfw at groups.io>; blindmath at nfbnet.org
Cc: annajee82 at gmail.com
Subject: [Blindmath] Equation editor

I am supposed to use equation editor for my college classes. I use JAWS and am wondering if there is a way to do this.  Thanks.

Anna E Givens


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