[nabs-l] Pearson My Math Lab + Accessibility information

[Mason, Amy]

A few days ago, someone posted to the list about Pearson's My Math Lab product with questions about its accessibility. I am writing to give any assistance I can, and to point folks to the resources available from Pearson directly.

If your questions are not answered by either this document, or the Pearson Accessibility page, please feel free to reach out and I will be happy to provide any assistance I can.
My Math Lab Accessibility Notes
Notes from the author (Me)
As the original questioner was asking about JAWS accessibility with the software, I have copied out that portion of the webpage below as well as the link to Pearson's getting started with Jaws documentation into this e-mail. The page  does also offer some useful information for users of magnification, color adjustment, and other similar tools.

Please be aware, as is mentioned in the documentation below, not all math problems are actually accessible. Please consult with your professor or school's Disabled Student Services office if you find that some questions are accessible while others are not, as this issue is likely related to inaccessible equations. .

Using a screenreader (Quoted from https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/mymathlab/accessibility/ )

Users with low, or no, vision can use screen-reader software for the html portions of the site. Screen readers such as JAWS and Window-Eyes can read the Calendar, Results, Announcements, Study Plan topics, and list of available assignments to you.

The questions in assignments (homework, quizzes, and tests) and in the Study Plan, are rendered in our Math Question Player. MyMathLab supports the JAWS screen reader** in selected single and multiple answer multiple-choice and free response questions. For free response questions, a text equivalent of math notation and symbols (command line language) can be entered using the keyboard.
Enhancements to the assignment manager now allow instructors to easily identify and select accessible questions. For textbooks with copyright 2012 and later, screen reader accessible questions have a "blue ear" icon next to them and include the alternative text description, "Question is screen reader accessible." On special request, identification of accessible questions in older textbooks can also be provided.

While you are using the JAWS screenreader, you may have questions that do not work correctly. Below  is a list of some of the known issues that we are working to resolve.


*         In some questions, the decimal number is read incorrectly.

*         In some questions, expressions are not read in one line.

**The mobile-enhanced (HTML5) player supports JAWS 15 and 16. The standard (Flash(tm)) player supports up to JAWS 14. For help on getting started, use the Quick Start Instructions for Using MyMathLab with JAWS
. Additional information is available in the student online help.

Quick Start Instructions for Using MyMathLab with JAWS: Word Document Download Link: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/mediaproducts/mylab-support-shared-files/assets/documents/MyMathLabND_and_JAWS_quick_start_instructions_08272014.doc

Contact information

If you want more information than is provided in the documentation listed above, you may be interested in reaching out to the accessibility team for the product who can be found at: disability.support at pearson.com<mailto:disability.support at pearson.com>

If you have other feedback and suggestions about Pearson product accessibility, , I am certain their team would be happy to receive it, but I also invite you to reach out to me directly at amason at nfb.org<mailto:amason at nfb.org> as the Access Technology team is collecting information concerning Pearson as well. We test lots of products, but very honestly, because you use them every day, you know them much better than we do. For this reason, your feedback is invaluable in our work.

Amy Mason
Access Technology Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314 ext. 2424
amason at nfb.org<mailto:amason at nfb.org>

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