Math Accessibility
Inaccessible Math
Not all methods of displaying mathematical content are accessible. Some formats prevent assistive technology from interpreting equations correctly, making it difficult or impossible for students to access information. The following examples describe some common accessibility barriers.
Math written in plain text is generally considered inaccessible. While it may look visually correct, assistive technologies may not read and interpret the equation symbols correctly. For example, simple symbols like a subtraction sign may be read as "to" or "through." A division sign may be read as "line." As equations become more complex, assistive technologies have greater difficulty in interpreting math content correctly.
Equations pasted into documents or Blackboard Ultra as images are inherently inaccessible. Assistive technology can recognize the image itself but cannot interpret the mathematical content contained within it.
For images of simple equations, alternative text written in plain language may provide sufficient access. However, most equations contain more complex symbols and notations that can not be expressed efficiently with alternative text alone.
Math equations contained in PDFs are often inaccessible. During the PDF creation process, equations are often flattened into images, preventing assistive technology from interpreting the content correctly.
Additionally, equations may be difficult to remediate in PDFs due to the complex tagging and structure required.
Note: Several workflows are currently being developed to create accessible math PDFs. While promising, these workflows are not yet realized to provide consisten accessibility support.
Build Accessible Math in Blackboard
Blackboard Ultra provides several tools that can be used to create accessible math content. Whenever possible, create equations directly within Blackboard rather than uploading them as images or in external documents.
Build in the Math Editor
Build equations directly in Blackboard Ultra using the Math Editor. This is the easiest way to create accessible math and is recommended for most users, as it doesn't require coding.
- Blackboard Help: Using the Math Editor
Add LaTex
Blackboard Ultra's Rich Text Editor supports inline LaTex entry. If you are comfortable working in LaTex, you can now type or paste equations using supported LaTex delimiters to produce accessible MathML output.
- LaTex Delimiters: \(...\), \[...\], or $$...$$
- Blackboard Help: LaTex in the Rich Text Editor
Limitations
- Blackboard does not support LaTex that breaks across lines.
- Blackboard Ultra only supports standard, simplified commands. Custom macros and complex preambles may not render correctly or read as accessible MathML.
- Formatting options are limited in comparison to LaTex editors.
Embed HTML
Blackboard Ultra supports embedded HTML. For instructors comfortable with coding, HTML provides more control over how mathematical equations in Blackboard Ultra are rendered.
One common approach is to use MathJax, a JavaScript library that renders LaTeX and MathML in web browsers.
- Help: What is MathJax?