<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Helvetica Neue";}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh my! Are people really doing that?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would never, and I mean never, do it that way! I provide Math content for students who are blind in MathML format, having made it using MS Word and MathType. My understanding (and I am not blind) is that doing math in MathML means the
student can access the full equation, move around within the equation, and it will be recognized by the screen reader properly. If I were just doing it by creating alt-text on images, who knows if it would be correct or not? Who would be the content expert
who would write those descriptions? Ouch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Susan Kelmer
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Alternate Format Production Program Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Disability Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Health and Wellness Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#CFB87C;mso-ligatures:none">T</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">303
735 4836</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#CFB87C;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices"><span style="color:#CFB87C">www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#CFB87C;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#CFB87C;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="150" height="56" style="width:1.5625in;height:.5833in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA0D7D.C245FA50"></span><span style="color:#0070C0;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Due to the nature of electronic communication, the security of this message cannot be guaranteed. If you’ve received this email in error
please notify the sender immediately and delete this message.</span></i><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> athen-list <athen-list-bounces@mailman12.u.washington.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Romack, Justin<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:00 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> athen-list@u.washington.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Athen] Math accessibility question - need feedback<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Howdy y’all!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m totally blind, so I’m trying to be cautious in approaching my question here and the response I provide to others in similar discussions as to not inject my bias…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But when producing accessible STEM content (specifically materials with equations), is it widely agreed upon that equations as images with alt text are less preferrable or not acceptable as compared to the same equations provided in MathML?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m seeing a trend where STEM content is shared as a PDF and, while equations are properly tagged with alt text that is a textual representation of the content being displayed, I find this far less navigable than would be a document with
equations in MathML.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is it technically accessible? Debatable. Is it functionally equivalent or equitable access… My opinion is no.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Would love for you to chime in!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Justin Romack | Assistant Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Disability Resources | Texas A&M University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">1224 TAMU | College Station, TX 77843-1224<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">ph: 979.845.1637 | <a href="mailto:justinr@disability.tamu.edu">justinr@disability.tamu.edu</a> | disability.tamu.edu<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | One Division. One Mission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>