Creating Accessible Math and Science Materials

Ron Stewart,Access Technology Instructor, HTCTU California Community Colleges

Chair, AHEAD Instructional Materials Accessibility Group

Math and Scientific Notation

Math and Symbology Word’s built in equation editor Scientific Notebook MathType TIGER Software Suite Narrative Descriptions

Technologies for Math and Science

Scalable Vector Graphics MathML LaTEX MathTalk IVEO Accessible Graphing Calculator InftyReader and ChattyInfty

Getting Ready to Edit

Develop a standard archival process Scan the book by Chapter Save all file output types Save File in proper format

600 DPI PDF for InftyReader 400 DPI Minimum but lower recognition

quality

Getting Started

Standardize the font Standardize the page layout

Pages numbers Chapter and Section Headings Comment Before and After Sidenotes, Footnotes, and Endnotes

Number Associate appropriately

Figures, Charts and Graphs Description or Tactile? Number Associate appropriately

Remove all “soft” formatting

Descriptions or Tactiles

Decide the appropriate format What is going to best convey the meaning Enlarge, Describe or annotated Tactile

Complete Descriptions! Include all relevant aspects

Forces Directions Significant Details

Required Graphicacy Skill Set

Identify characteristics/significant elements of image

Be able to use the language to discuss components of a graphic

Identify attributes of symbols used in graphic

Develop a system for scanning graphic and key searching for specific information

Lucia Hasty, Rock Mountain Braille Associates

Tables, Problems and Theorems

Table content is left in the text Tables maybe converted to text Tab separate table elements Restructure complex tables Keep Material Connected

Theorems and Proofs Problems and Solutions

Specialized Formatting

Standardize your procedures Linerize all Notation

Automatic with MathML production LaTEX natively linear presentation

Label appropriately Additional notation only as specified Quality Control

Editing In MathType

Use MathType Preference File Standardize Spacing Math Style

MathType does not always work Tables need to be enlarged Roman Numeral are problematic Graphics are prepared separately and

merged Use Global Find/Replace for uniformity Can be produced as DAISY or XHTML

Editing in Scientific Notebook

Total Editing Environment Recommended solution for NEMETH

Tighter integration with Duxbury Allows for production of graphics Equations can easily be imported

from MathType.

Editing for TIGER

Not Screen Reader Friendly Produces DotsPlus Content Requires a TIGER Embosser Create using the Template Use Tiger Font Sets Create equations in MathType

TSS translates to TIGER format

Math Input Options

LaTeX Keyboard Entry ChattyInfty MathTalk

For More Information

Ron Stewartrstewart@htctu.net