Which Assistive Technology Products Have Math Support?
There is a growing number of assistive technology (AT) products with
math support, ranging from synthetic speech output of math equations to braille
support. Design Science works with AT vendors to assist them in
developing accessible math support for their customers. We provide the
following list to help keep you informed on the current status of math support
in AT products.
Note: The features listed are for the most current version of the
software. Older versions may or may not have these features.
The following table lists a number of the most popular synthetic speech
reading tools, including screen reader applications and literacy support tools.
Here are some of the most commonly used translation software
for the creation of hard copy tactile materials.
This table lists some of the most popular DAISY Digital Talking Book
software players.
Some of the most commonly used production and conversion tools for creating
DAISY Digital Talking Books, and in some cases for converting to other formats:
The following table lists document authoring software that can be used to
create DAISY or XHTML files with accessible math.
Accessibility Partner: Vendors who
have signed up for our Accessibility
Partners program and work with us to provide math accessibility in their
products. Organizations whose institutional status or bylaws may prevent them
from signing our partner agreement are listed as N/A, for not applicable.
Basic Math Speech: When using synthetic
speech, these products will generate spoken math for math equations that have
been created using MathML within HTML or XHTML documents, DAISY Digital Talking
Books or NIMAS student-ready textbook files. This functionality currently
requires the use of Internet Explorer plus the free
MathPlayer plug-in.
Advanced Math Speech: When using synthetic
speech, these products provide a much richer math listening experience
over Basic Math Speech by letting the user hear pitch intonation changes for
math expression elements like superscripts, and elongated pauses at junctures in
long equations. Advanced Math Speech enhances auditory understanding of complex
math equations, making them easier for listeners to comprehend. This
functionality currently requires the use of Internet Explorer plus the free
MathPlayer plug-in.
Synchronized Math Highlighting:
When using speech products that provide visual display of text with synchronized
background highlighting, these applications will also provide integrated math
equation display with visual background color highlighting of individual
equation elements as they are spoken. Synchronized math highlighting helps to
reinforce auditory understanding of math equations, and can aid students with
attention deficits or other learning issues. This functionality currently
requires the use of Internet Explorer plus the free
MathPlayer plug-in. Products that are
not designed to support synchronized highlighting are listed as N/A, for not
applicable.
Refreshable Math Braille Support:
A refreshable braille display is an electro-mechanical peripheral device
connected to a computer and used for the instantaneous tactile display of text
in braille. Any synthetic speech reader application that supports refreshable
braille displays will be able to provide standard computer braille output,
providing it also supports Basic Math Speech. However, reader applications that
provide Refreshable Math Braille Support will instead generate tactile display
of true math braille codes, such as Nemeth code or UK math code. This provides
the highest level of detailed math information to the experienced braille user,
and is extremely helpful in properly decoding complex math equations. This
functionality currently requires the use of Internet Explorer plus the free
MathPlayer plug-in. Products that are
not designed to support refreshable braille displays are listed as N/A, for not
applicable.
DotsPlus Math:
DotsPlus braille is a
set of tactile font characters that are substituted for standard print
characters, containing information in a combined tactile format of both braille
and raised graphic symbols that approximate the shape and layout of standard
print math notation. Some blind students prefer using DotsPlus math over true
math braille codes and find it easier to learn.
Math Braille: Outputs true math braille codes,
such as Nemeth code or UK math code. This provides the highest level of detailed
math information to the experienced braille user, and is extremely helpful in
properly decoding complex math equations.
Equation Editor Support: Supporting
Tactile and Braille Translation Software applications are capable of directly
importing MS Word documents containing math equations authored with the
MS Equation
Editor.
MathType Support: Supporting Tactile and
Braille Translation Software applications are capable of directly importing MS
Word documents containing math equations authored with
MathType.
MathML Support: Supporting Tactile and Braille
Translation Software applications are capable of directly importing XHTML or
DAISY/NIMAS XML files containing MathML
equations. Supporting DAISY Conversion and Production Tools are capable of
creating DAISY+MathML Digital Talking Books or XHTML+MathML documents.
Supports DAISY Export w/Math:
Supporting Authoring Software applications are capable of creating DAISY/NIMAS
XML files containing MathML equations.
Supports XHTML+MathML Export:
Supporting Authoring Software applications are capable of creating XHTML+MathML
documents.
Design Science is constantly working with vendors to help them support accessible math in their products. If you have a product that provides accessible math support that we have failed to list or
have listed incorrectly, or if we can assist you in getting accessible math support into your product, please contact us.
We invite vendors who are working on accessible math support to become one of our
Accessibility Partners. For a listing of the vendors who are already
Accessibility Partners, please see our
Accessibility Partners web page.
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