[BlindMath] Advice on writing

Fri Feb 20 12:05:28 UTC 2026

Thank you for asking this question. It is encouraging to hear from authors who truly want to make their math materials accessible.

When writing alt text for graphs in a college level math book, the goal is not just to label the picture. The goal is to communicate the mathematical meaning of the graph. A blind student does not need to hear “graph of the function.” They need to understand what the graph shows and why it matters.

A good way to think about it is this. If you removed the image completely, what would a student need to know to solve problems or understand the concept?

For example, instead of writing:

“Graph of f(x) equals x squared.”

You might write:

“The graph of f(x) equals x squared is a parabola opening upward with vertex at the origin. It is symmetric about the y axis. The function decreases for negative x and increases for positive x.”

That description tells the student about shape, direction, symmetry, and behavior. Those are the important mathematical features.

For more advanced students who are post Calculus, you may also need to describe:

Intercepts

Asymptotes

Points of inflection

Intervals of increase and decrease

Concavity

Limits or end behavior

Relative or absolute extrema

Any labeled points that are used in later discussion

If a graph is being used to support a specific argument, then the alt text should focus on that argument. For example, if the purpose of the graph is to show that a function is not one to one, then the description should clearly state that horizontal lines intersect the graph more than once.

Another important point is length. There is no strict character limit for complex mathematical graphics. Short alt text is useful for simple images. Complex graphs often need longer descriptions. In many cases it is better to provide a brief alt text and then a longer description in the main text or in a linked description. College level math often requires detailed explanation.

This connects to the idea of universal design. When you include a clear written explanation of the graph in the main text, you are not only helping blind students. You are also helping sighted students who learn better by reading words rather than looking at images. Some students process information better through detailed explanations. Others benefit from seeing both the picture and the description together.

For example, my wife has aphantasia. That means in her case she can not form mental images in her mind, even though she is sighted. Memorizing visual information is harder for her. Clear written descriptions help her understand and remember concepts better. This shows that strong descriptions are not just an accessibility feature. They support different kinds of learners.

Using AI tools can also be very helpful. AI can generate a first draft description of a graph, especially if you provide the equation and explain what the graph is meant to show. This can save time and help you think about details you might overlook. However, AI should not be the final step. It works best as a starting point. You as the author still need to review the description carefully to make sure it is mathematically correct and focused on the learning goal. AI can help with structure and wording, but your human judgment and expertise is needed to make sure the description truly supports understanding.

Also remember that blind students may not experience graphs just with your descriptions.   Many rely on Screen readers, AI tools, and Tactile Graphics.  Sometimes they do not always do a good job at helping even though they try.  I made chili last night and got one bean wrong. It made for an interesting Chillie but that was caused by me trusting an Ai tool.   Your descriptions will help keep that from being a problem.

A helpful guideline is to describe the structure first, then the behavior, then the purpose. Think in terms of mathematical relationships rather than visual appearance.

You may also find useful guidance from organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for image descriptions.

Most importantly, if possible, ask blind students or professionals in accessibility to review a few examples. Feedback from actual users is often more valuable than any written guideline.  An author of science fiction came to this list years ago and I think the books WWW by Robert Sawyer came out much better because of the help in reviewing h is text. In the same way If you want to send a few of your more complicated graphs here with descriptions.  We can give you a review and maybe help enhance the result of your book.

It is clear you care about getting this right. That effort alone will make your book better for many students.

Ken

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jim Hefferon via BlindMath
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2026 3:01 PM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
Cc: Jim Hefferon <jim.hefferon at gmail.com>
Subject: [BlindMath] Advice on writing

Hello, I have an electronically-available text that I am updating and I'd like to make it accessible.  Is there is a good source how to write to be most effective?  I'm not asking about technical concerns such as output format, but rather what to put on that page.  My audience is college undergraduates who are post-Calculus.  I personally do not have a vision impairment.

In particular, I find writing alt text for mathematical graphics very challenging.  I have seen recommendations to keep it below a certain number of characters, but "graph of the function" cannot be the best thing I can do, surely.

Naturally I've looked for literature (and the archives of this list) and found a fair bit of both papers and video presentations about students at the secondary level, but not much above that.  No doubt my library skills are not up to the task. If someone could share a pointer or two I'd be very grateful.

Regards,
Jim Hefferon

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