[BlindMath] Using Desmos Report Second Try

[John Miller]

Hello,

I am exploring using Desmos, with a refreshable braille display.

The program Desmos is a web-based graphical calculator.

It plots a math expression to the screen, can sonophy the expression, has some accessibility designed in, and works somewhat okay with the Graphiti tactile display.
To use Desmos type in the following address in Microsoft Edge www.desmos.com/calculator

If you have used Desmos as a blind person, I would like to hear how it helped you or any approaches you found most useful when working with it.



There is a useful link, https://www.desmos.com/accessibility.

To turn on Nemeth Braille mode, use Alt + N.

In the Nemeth mode, the refreshable braille display displays an expression in the Nemeth braille code as expected.

I found that the JAWS cursor appears in the correct position for easy editing when the Nemeth braille mode is enabled.

In this case it is straight forward to edit the math expression.

With the Nemeth mode turned off symbols such as the equals sign are appearing on the braille display such as "equals" and I find myself usually off by one character when I try to edit the middle of an expression.



To explore a graph, use alt+t.
This brings up a graph paper mode oriented about describing the plot.

Sonophy the graph with the choice h.

Arrow left or right and the x-value decreases or increases.

There is a button on the screen that goes to the next point of interest.

The points of interest are the maxima, the minima, and the zero-crossings sorted in ascending x-value.

As you arrow left and right, the x value and the corresponding y value are spoken.

If you arrive at a point of interest then JAWS speaks extremum, for example, and lists the x and y values.

Press alt-t to toggle out of the graph description mode.

It should return you to the editable expression list.

You can zoom in and zoom out with alt- and alt+.

To get back to a default zoom I threw away my expression and just refreshed the page.

I am sure there is a better way to do it but I have not found it yet.

The documentation suggests using alt-shift-z for zoom to fit as necessary.

Very best,

John