Accessible Math

Before you share: Accessible math is about more than making equations visible on the screen. It requires encoding the structure and meaning of expressions so that screen readers, braille displays, and other assistive technologies can present them accurately and navigably.

This guide covers practical workflows for creating and sharing accessible mathematical content using Canvas, Microsoft Word, Mathpix, and LaTeX.

💡 The Golden Rule: Never rely on pictures or screenshots of equations, and avoid using a PDF as the only format you share with students. PDFs often lack the semantic structures needed to make math accessible. Provide course materials in HTML with MathML (Canvas) or Word documents with OMML instead!

Canvas Built-In Math Tools (MathML)

💡 Pro Tip: Building math directly inside a Canvas Page is often the best experience for students. Math is rendered visually in the browser but stored as MathML behind the scenes, making it fully accessible and navigable by assistive technologies.

Using the Canvas Math Editor

  • Select the Insert Math Equation icon (often looks like a square root symbol) in the Canvas rich text editor toolbar.
  • Build your equation using the visual editor's symbol palette and templates.

Using Inline LaTeX in Canvas

  • If you are comfortable typing LaTeX, you can type it directly into the Canvas editor.
  • Enter math with standard LaTeX delimiters, such as \( ... \) for inline equations, and \[ ... \] or $$ ... $$ for block equations.

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Microsoft Word Equation Editor (OMML)

If you need to provide a downloadable document, Microsoft Word is highly recommended over a PDF. Equations created natively in Word are stored as OMML (Office Math Markup Language), which encodes both the visual presentation and semantic meaning of the math.

  • Use the Insert > Equation tool in Microsoft Word.
  • You can build equations using the visual tools, or use Word's Linear input to type LaTeX directly.
  • Crucial step: Share the file as a .docx document. Exporting the Word document to a PDF may strip the OMML tags, rendering the math inaccessible to screen readers.

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Mathpix (Converting Handwritten Notes)

💡 Pro Tip: Have an old PDF problem set or handwritten lecture notes? Use an OCR tool like Mathpix to extract the math and convert it into accessible digital text!

Need a Mathpix license? Request one by emailing the TLT team at teaching@rice.edu.

Standard PDFs are inherently visual layouts. If a PDF contains an image of a math equation, assistive technology cannot read it. Mathpix is a powerful tool used to reconstruct structure and math from physical appearance.

Converting Scans and Notes

  • Scan or photograph your notes clearly. Ensure good handwriting and high contrast.
  • Import the image into Mathpix and let it generate an editable LaTeX representation.
  • Export the document to HTML or a Word Document (.docx). These are the most accessible formats for screen readers to interpret complex math.
  • Review carefully: Reconstructed equations may be imperfect, especially with highly dense notation or custom matrices.

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LaTeX, Overleaf & Pandoc

💡 Pro Tip: Rice University provides Overleaf Professional accounts to all students, faculty, and staff! Overleaf is a collaborative cloud-based LaTeX editor that makes writing and organizing complex math much easier.

Get Started: Claim your free account and view training resources through the Rice Library Overleaf Guide.

LaTeX is the standard document preparation system for complex mathematical formulas. While LaTeX code itself is text-based, compiling it into a standard PDF often excludes students who use screen readers unless specific accessibility steps are taken.

Overleaf Accessibility Best Practices

  • Avoid using heavy macro layers or custom styling overrides that can break the structural tagging of the document.
  • If you must distribute a PDF, use modern accessibility packages (such as tagpdf or the axessibility package) when compiling in Overleaf to help generate Tagged PDF structures.

Using Pandoc for Accessible Outputs

Because many PDFs generated from LaTeX still lack perfect semantic structure, you should strongly consider using a tool like Pandoc to convert your .tex files into accessible alternative formats.

  • Use Pandoc to convert your LaTeX files to HTML with MathML or Word docs with OMML.
  • Providing an HTML or Word version alongside your PDF ensures all students have an equitable reading experience.

More LaTeX, Overleaf & Pandoc Resources

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Graphs, Tables, & Charts

💡 Pro Tip: Never rely on color alone to differentiate data series on a graph! Use direct labeling, distinct markers (squares, triangles), or different line styles (solid, dashed).

Engineering and STEM problems often involve complex visual data. These elements require specific alternative formats so students with visual impairments can still interpret the information.

Alt Text for Graphs and Figures

  • A quick win is to summarize the key insight of the graph in the alt text (e.g., “Line graph showing a linear increase: y = 2x illustrates a straight line through the origin”).
  • If the exact values or shape matter in detail (like a specific parabola vertex), you must provide those details in a caption or surrounding body text.

Provide Data Tables

  • Always provide a structured data table alongside any complex chart or graph.
  • A student using a screen reader cannot "see" a trendline, but they can easily navigate a properly formatted HTML data table cell-by-cell to understand the numeric values and context.

More Graph & Chart Resources

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