[BlindMath] BlindMath Digest, Vol 158, Issue 3

[Steve Jacobson]

Susan,

Does your school require the use of computers of a particular platform?  For example, are other students required to use Windows computers?  If not, what kind of methods are sighted students using to read math on their MACs?  Is the work you are doing particularly to convert textbooks, or are you dealing with other kinds of documents?  ?  Some of the examples that you give might allow the conversions you do to be avoided under Windows, but I know that there are gaps in many math textbooks that are as apparent under Windows as well.  It is a big change to move from a MAC to a Windows computer, especially in terms of screen readers, but if other students are required to use Windows computers it might be something that has to happen.  On the other hand, perhaps others here know of ways to handle some of the issues raise on the MAC.  We need to have a clearer idea of the situation.  I would hate to see your student switch to Windows and still face many of the same issues along with trying to learn a new platform.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

--------------- Original Message ---------------
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of Susan Kelmer via
BlindMath
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2019 12:36 PM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Susan Kelmer <Susan.Kelmer at colorado.edu<mailto:Susan.Kelmer at colorado.edu>>
Subject: [BlindMath] Low vision student wanting to hear math on a Mac

I've been on this list for several years and read much of what you post, and
have learned a lot.  I'm an alternate format provider for students at the
University of Colorado, and I have a new problem and don't know how to help
my student.

He is a math and computer science major with low vision and refuses to move
to a Windows machine or to use a screen reader.  He has familiarity with
Voiceover on his Mac.  He has some vision and has gotten through math in the
past with enlargements, but he's reached a point in his college career where
this is just not going to be enough.

I'm creating math-enabled files, that can be read easily on a Windows
machine, but I'm not having any luck getting this to work on a Mac.  I've
tried epub3, which works but doesn't read all the characters in an equation.
I've tried just using a mathml file (I get a javascript error when I try to
open it in Safari and then it opens the file but all the math is missing),
I've tried straight-up word files with Mathtype.  Nothing is working.  I
can't seem to adjust the verbosity settings on voiceover to anything but
"all" or "some" but no fine tuning.  So while it reads the math it puts in a
lot of extra stuff if I am using the "all" setting, and doesn't read the
basics (like parenthesis) if I set it to "some."  I am creating all files in
Word with Mathtype on a PC.

Any suggestions for me and my student?

Susan Kelmer
Alternate Format Production Program Manager
Disability Services
University of Colorado Boulder
303-735-4836

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D.
Accessibility IT Consultant
ejp10 at psu.edu<mailto:ejp10 at psu.edu>

The 300 Building, 112
304 West College Avenue
University Park, PA 16802
accessibility.psu.edu<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faccessibility.psu.edu&data=02%7C01%7C%7Caf4784f3fc5a4141400f08d7384b552c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637039768513679512&sdata=xz%2FEzTGjQaYmjy7SaLlnoMOOwYorLHJuNaSF%2FlTH%2B3k%3D&reserved=0>





_______________________________________________
BlindMath mailing list
BlindMath at nfbnet.org
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnfbnet.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fblindmath_nfbnet.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Caf4784f3fc5a4141400f08d7384b552c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637039768513679512&sdata=LifrU1FdCXKXQcGqAUl241np2n7izKfPbWuqBXcg2to%3D&reserved=0
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindMath:
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnfbnet.org%2Fmailman%2Foptions%2Fblindmath_nfbnet.org%2Fsteve.jacobson%2540outlook.com&data=02%7C01%7C%7Caf4784f3fc5a4141400f08d7384b552c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637039768513679512&sdata=pOzs8PREO%2FeHeBGm7eH3N12Q9PURT4JKbwcTi6sLmAM%3D&reserved=0
BlindMath Gems can be found at <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blindscience.org%2Fblindmath-gems-home&data=02%7C01%7C%7Caf4784f3fc5a4141400f08d7384b552c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637039768513679512&sdata=72pUn%2BaGQt%2FJKyQ4vINV0Yj1kuQD2VbFgYfjvPexZiQ%3D&reserved=0>