[BlindMath] Flowcharts and Accessible Math Feedback

Thu May 9 00:56:16 UTC 2024

Ketty,

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Sean here, Accessibility Technician
at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas. I have had success providing
screen reader access to math using MS Word and Equation Editor for students
using JAWS, since Freedom Scientific has greatly improved the ability of
JAWS to read native Equation Editor Equations in the MS Word environment
using MS Word 2019 or 365. There is even more robust accessibility for
students using braille devices, specifically limited to MS Word 365,  and
the latest JAWS or Fusion. Braille devices will display the proper Nemeth
Code Braille for Equation Editor equation in the MS Word document, and
Braille devices with 6 key input capabilities allow students to type Nemeth
and the resulting math with display in an Equation Editor Equation in the
MS Word document. Providing independent options to produce math that is
readable by sighted individuals in real time, from the laptop screen. This
is the first technology making that real-time interaction possible from
braille to print within a document without delayed conversions between
braille and print.  Most faculty are familiar with Equations Editor, and
are capable of creating documents with sophisticated math without requiring
additional training. Here are links to some information on JAWS and
Equation Editor with the  Braille Math Editor in JAWS and FUSION
<https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/teachers/accessing-math-content-with-jaws-and-fusion/#:~:text=To%20open%20the%20Math%20Editor,4%2D6%2D7%20CHORD.>
 providing support for reading math in MS Word 365 and supporting Nemeth input
and output via Equation Editor.

Other tools that have proven to be helpful for providing math accessibility
are MathPix, the Central Access Reader and Central Access Toolbar. MathPix
is invaluable to my workflow, remediating math content for screen reader
use, as well as preparing math content for transcribing braille with Duxbury
 and creating tactile graphics. MathPix is affordable and has been useful
in introducing me to LaTeX mark-up through its online interface that is
used to convert PDF content to MS Word through its web application. The web
app for MathPix Note has a wonderful dual view for seeing both the markup
(using a noob-friendly MathPix Markup, but is compatible with most LaTeX
markup) and visual output side by side. I have found the OCR engine so
accuratethat it has replaced my other OCR tools for even non-math content.
It is accurate even with low quality source content, beats anything I've
ever used when working with handwritten materials. Once converted to the
MathPix Note format they can be edited with the online mark-up Latex markup
tools, then exported to a variety of formats. MS Word is the most useful
for me, but export options for Overleaf, HTML, PDF, PDF with MathML tags,
and more are available. The professional license is less than $150/year,
something like $129 I think. Which is amazing compared to other math
remediation tools like *Infty Reader* and *Equatio*, which are cost
prohibitive and have a narrower range of usefulness. And no I don't work
for them, or get a kick back. Just a big fan. They have been very
responsive to the accessibility remediation community from the onset. They
have met with my team and many other higher ed teams, and have implemented
suggested features. They didn't foresee this use case, but have been highly
supportive.

The other tools I find invaluable are free from Central Washington
University: The *Central Access Reader* and *Central Access Toolbar*. The
Reader isn't fully screen reader accessible but it provides remediation
specialists like myself to quickly convert MS Word documents with either
MathType or Equation Editor equations to fully screen reader accessible
HTML or MP3 audio. The HTML with MathML equations is accessible without
plugins or extensions, on any platform using the default screen
reader/browser. So on Windows with JAWS and Chrome or Edge, and options for
creating NVDA accessible HTML. On Apple computers, iPhones and iPads with
Safari and voiceover. Students have found it easier to navigate the HTML,
using the same keyboard commands they use for surfing the web. This is
great for those new to screen readers, as MS Word can prove more
challenging to navigate. The MP3 audio output is great for students who
have yet to master screen reader applications, as they can play it on any
device without the need for complex keyboard navigation.

Those are the main tools I use to remediate math and other technical
content for screen reader access, and to prep documents for transcription
into UEB with Nemeth. Of course Duxbury is the main application for braille
transcription, but those other tools are invaluable for preparing documents
for import into Duxbury. Sorry for such a long response, I hope it is
helpful.    Best,

*Sean Loraas*
Accessibility Technician
Student Affairs
Austin Community College
Eastview Campus
Email: sloraas at austincc.edu

Original Message-----

From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org
<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of
Ketty Ombadykow via BlindMath

Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2024 5:31 PM

To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org>

Cc: Ketty Ombadykow <mko30 at echo.rutgers.edu
<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org>>; RADR AFT <radr.aft
at echo.rutgers.edu
<http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org>>

Subject: Re: [BlindMath] BlindMath Digest, Vol 213, Issue 8

Thank you to those who provided feedback to the Rutgers University
questions about accessible flowcharting software and  JavaScript Editor,
and accessible math format.

We really appreciate all feedback.

Jonathan Godfrey,  we'll look into the Quatro and Mermaid editors.

For Calculus,

1) Hope professor will provide Latex files, then we can convert to HTML
with Mathjax, as we have done this before.

2) there are many GRAPHS to illustrate the math: any preference or
suggested method to provide the graphs accessibly: tactiles or alt text or
use the accessible scientific graphing calculator (which may not identified
shaded areas of graphic)?

For his Statistics class,

it looks like the math notation is not as dense. The professor may use the
Word equation editor or MathType to insert the typed math. We can ask for
the original Word files and convert to HTML with mathjax.

Have any of you used MathPix to insert the math into Word files and read
the math in the WORD file with MathCat (integrated now in NVDA, soon to be
supported in JAWS)?

Or Equatio?

Thank you all again for your guidance.

 Best Regards,

Ketty

 M. Ketty Ombadykow, M. Ed., M.S.| Alternate Format Text/Assistive
Technology Rutgers University | Rutgers Access & Disability Resources
(RADR) Liberty Plaza, Suite 1250, 335 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Office: (848)-445-4431 | RADR main:  (848)-445-4499