[Athen] Math Content for PhD Student

Dimac, Marcie mdimac at kent.edu
Tue Aug 11 08:43:21 PDT 2015


Thanks all for your valuable and insightful input and guidance on this matter! We have installed MathType and are in the process of hiring a graduate level content editor (majoring in the mathematics field). I'm grateful for this group of individuals who are so willing to share insights and suggestions.

Cheers!


Marcie Anne Dimac, M.A. Ed.

Coordinator, Assistive Technology
Student Accessibility Services
DeWeese Health Center, Room 23
Kent, Ohio 44242

Email: mdimac at kent.edu<mailto:mdimac at kent.edu>

Phone: 330-672-3391

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This e-mail message may contain confidential information intended only for use of the individual or entity named. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please do not read, use, disclose, copy or distribute this message and do not take any action in reliance upon it. If you have received this transmission in error, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is prohibited. Please delete it from your system without copying or forwarding it, and notify the sender of the error by reply e-mail or by calling 330-672-3001.



From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Bossley, Peter A. (Pete)
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 9:06 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Math Content for PhD Student

I agree with everything said below, just one note that the math changes were merged into NVDA 2015.2 There is no longer a special NVDA build.

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Wink Harner
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 3:40 PM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network' <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Math Content for PhD Student

Marcie, et al ATHENites,

Math Type does the best (IMHO) converting to math ml -in any case, it is somewhat simpler and easier to use than Scientific Notebook. There is a good math beta version of NVDA (screen reader) which works well with text files retyped with MATHTYPE and using Design Science's Math Player.

Run the PDF book file through OCR using ABBYY Fine Reader. ABBYY has a better recognition for complex math, science and foreign languages than other OCR programs. Get a grad student or a student worker who has taken statistics to then retype the equations into the OCR converted text you've created. Save the file(s). (most cost effective). You may also consider buying or sending the alt text out to someone using INFINTY READER, the OCR software for math. (not as cost effective as doing it in house or even hiring out to an alt-text production company that knows how to produce mathtype/mathplayer/NVDA files).

The student needs to have NVDA math beta version, MathType (costs) and MathPlayer (does not cost) loaded on their computer. The NVDA commands work similarly to JAWS. You can download a keystroke file of the NVDA commands. Here are the links:

1. MathType: https://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/

2. MathPlayer 4, public beta version: https://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/download.htm?src=mplogo?src=mplogo find the link on this page and download. It's free!

3. NVDA math beta version link is on the same page as the MathPlayer (see above).

4. Here is a link via WebAIM for the NVDA keyboard shortcuts: http://webaim.org/resources/shortcuts/nvda

The charts, graphs and illustrations can be done by importing these images into Adobe Illustrator, clean up and label, then send to a raised line embosser or print them and have a student worker use a puff pen to outline.

Hope this is helpful and somewhat useful. If others have additional information or suggestions, please chime in!

Thanks,

Wink

Wink Harner
Adaptive Technology Consulting & Training
Alternative Text & Media Production
The Foreigntype

foreigntype at gmail.com<mailto:foreigntype at gmail.com>
winkharner1113 at gmail.com<mailto:winkharner1113 at gmail.com>

(Disclaimer: this email was dictated with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Please forgive any quirks, mis-recognitions, or omissions.)


From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dimac, Marcie
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 10:04 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network (athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>)
Subject: [Athen] Math Content for PhD Student

Afternoon all,

I sent out something about a week ago and got no replies so I'd like to try again in hopes that someone out there can help us!

Situation: We have a doctoral candidate student, blind, JAWS user, who does not read Braille. The student is registered for a doctoral level quantitative statistics course and the book is available in PDF format but is about 50% equations and mathematical problems and 50% text content. We are trying to determine the best way to deliver the mathematical content to the student.
We have tried editing the math content in Scientific Notebook, but it then has to be exported to xhtml and we are finding that only JAWS 16 truly supports MathML (the student is on version 14).
We cannot Braille the figures or equations as this student does not read Braille.

Question: What is the best way to deliver the content to this student? We have spoken with the student and he is comfortable with us either properly formatting the current math content (Using SN or MathType) so he can listen to the content with JAWS or turning all mathematical content into textual content (i.e.[cid:image001.png at 01D0D42A.BB951910] would be written as "X sub one").

Does anyone have any recommendations/best practices for

1. A program to properly format mathematical content for JAWS

2. The concept of turning mathematical content into textual content

Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks, as always!

Marcie Anne Dimac, M.A. Ed.

Coordinator, Assistive Technology
Student Accessibility Services
DeWeese Health Center, Room 23
Kent, Ohio 44242

Email: mdimac at kent.edu<mailto:mdimac at kent.edu>

Phone: 330-672-3391

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This e-mail message may contain confidential information intended only for use of the individual or entity named. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please do not read, use, disclose, copy or distribute this message and do not take any action in reliance upon it. If you have received this transmission in error, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is prohibited. Please delete it from your system without copying or forwarding it, and notify the sender of the error by reply e-mail or by calling 330-672-3001.

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