0. Generating and Using Accessible Mathematics on the Web
Sam Dooley Pearson Assessment

1. Dynamic Online Accessible Math — Online Braille Math

2. Braille math is hard! Blind students need high-quality braille math
Advanced preparation is costly and takes time
Math teachers are often unfamiliar with braille
TVIs are often unfamiliar with math notation

3. Braille math software is harder!
Software translation can be problematic
Forward translation takes many steps
Real-time back translation is non-existent
No support for online or classroom use

4. Braille math needs to be online!
Blind students need:
A level playing field for STEM instruction
To read and write online braille math
To interact with sighted instructors and peers
To participate in online learning
To participate in online assessment

5. Braille math should be math!
Math concepts are independent of notation
Braille math codes capture all math notation
Math software can be independent of notation
Blind students only have full access to math if their math is treated the same as printed math.

6. Dynamic Online Accessible Math — Accessible Equation Editor

7. Accessible Equation Editor
Sighted user can create math for a blind user
Blind user can create math for a sighted user
Real-time, two-way braille math translation
Instantaneous interactions with math content
Discoverable braille math encoding rules

8. QWERTY Keyboard Input Math symbols on the keyboard
Other symbols on the buttons
Keyboard cursor navigation
Implicit and explicit selection
Backspace, delete, clear

9. Braille Terminal Output
Math output on the screen
Braille output on the screen
Braille output on the terminal
Screen reader support

10. Braille Terminal Input
Each braille cell is like a key
Sequences of keys create the math
Tooltips with text and braille
Cursor position and routing

11. QWERTY Terminal Output
Braille input creates math content
Math content becomes math output
Math output becomes braille output
The math markup is exactly the same

12. Research Studies Two research studies in Fall 2015
(KY/AZ - Sep, TX - Oct)
Goal - to collect feedback from multiple populations on AEE functionality
Populations - blind, low vision, regular print readers, learning disabled
Criteria - high school students who had completed Algebra I

13. Research Outcomes Students had limited knowledge of Nemeth
Erasing math content was unpredictable
Working with grouping symbols was difficult
Entering and closing fractions was unexpected
Ending trigonometric expressions was unusual

14. Ongoing Research Additional research studies in 2016
(NFB – Jun/Jul, TBA – Sep/Oct)
Goal - to collect feedback on new and more advanced AEE functionality
Math expression navigation
Math expression modification
Nemeth Braille discoverability

15. Updated Outcomes Cursor tracking improved position awareness
Dot 8 helped identify closed expressions
Erasing content is still unpredictable
Nemeth discoverability is helpful, but the keyboard navigation is overwhelming
Nemeth symbol search was requested

16. Technical objectives Real-time translation from math into braille
Real-time translation from braille into math
Accessible to both sighted and blind users
Online equation editor software component

17. Accessible Online Math!
Blind students can have:
A level playing field for STEM instruction
Tools to read and write online braille math
Interaction with sighted instructors and peers
Active participation in online activities

18. Braille math is math! Blind students can read the same math
Blind students can write the same math
The math can be shared the same way
The math can be scored the same way
Blind students can now have full access to math since their math is the same as printed math.

19. Dynamic Online Accessible Math — Online Spoken Math

20. Speech output for static math
Browser
MathJax
Presentation MathML
Screen reader
MathPlayer

21. Speech output for dynamic math
Speech output for the entire content
Speech output for the input context
Speech output for the input actions
Speech output for keyboard events

22. Natural spoken math output
Dynamic math produces more math output
User intervention is even more essential
More output means more math speech modes
Spoken output can reinforce braille output
Blind students can have math read for them,
and they can read their math for themselves.

23. Speech input for dynamic math
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Recognizes words from spoken input
Transmits characters to applications
Supports popular software packages

24. Custom speech input rules
Custom rules support specific software
Grammar rules recognize spoken phrases
Spoken phrases become character sequences
Character sequences become input tokens
Input tokens invoke editor template rules

25. Natural spoken math input
Spoken text recognition needs work for math
Math notations use well-established patterns
Notational patterns support spoken input rules
Spoken input can augment braille input
Blind students can read their math to create it,
and they can write their math to create it.

26. Dynamic Online Accessible Math — Online Braille Text

27. Braille codes for text Uncontracted Braille (Grade 1)
Computer Braille Code (CBC)
English Braille, American Edition (EBAE)
Unified English Braille (UEB)

28. User interfaces for text
Plain text editors (Notepad, Emacs)
Word processors (WordPerfect, Word)
Math expression editors (MathType, Wiris)
Worksheets (Scientific Word/Notebook)

29. Natural text plus math input
Content MathML to represent math
Simplified HTML to represent text
Braille input/output for textual content
Nemeth Braille input/output for math
Integrated text/math transitions

30. Dynamic Online Accessible Math!
Dynamic braille input/output for math
Dynamic speech input/output for math
Dynamic braille input/output for text
Blind students can now have full access to math since their math is the same as printed math.