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Re: Converting simple math to Mathtype: Scope

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From: Jonathan Cohn
Date: Apr 24, 2017 8:48AM

There is some support of MathML out there. JAWS certainly supports it for
both speech and braille and has a test page available. I believe Sina has
created an equivalent plugin for MathML on NVDA. I don't know directly
about Window Eyes, but could test later today. Also, on the Macintosh
front, if your VoiceOver WEB mode is "DOM" then Math ML support is almost
as good (via voice, I haven't tested Braille) as with JAWS. If WEB mode for
VoiceOVer is set to grouping then MathML drops a bit of the context. Also,
I have noticed issues that I have not yet resolved with JAWS and it
occasionally seeing operators in MathML equations as different characters.



On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 4:50 AM Mallory < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Hi,
> unfortunately screen readers, even when the users set punctuation to
> verbose, don't always necessarily read out even simple or basic math
> symbols correctly. Even with the ohm/omega symbol (I once ran across
> a document that meant ohms but used omega), per screen reader you
> *might* get a unicode name (uppercase greek omega), or you'll get a
> complete blank (as if the character isn't even there).
>
>
> https://www.deque.com/blog/dont-screen-readers-read-whats-screen-part-1-punctuation-typographic-symbols/
>
> At work, for Powerpoints specifically, we have a list of which
> characters
> must by typed in via MathType, or via the MathType toolbar, because
> of this issue of diverse reading:
>
> "Keyboard characters that should be used only from within MathType to
> create a MathType equation:
> Letters
> Numbers
> Minus sign
> Plus sign
> Equal sign
> Comma
> Exclamation point
> Dollar
> Percent
> Less than
> Greater than"
> and
> "These characters must be applied from the MathType toolbar:
> Tilde
> Similar to
> Prime
> Caret
> Asterisk
> Parentheses
> Brackets
> Angle brackets
> Braces
> Less than or equal to
> Greater than or equal to
> Multiplication dot (called the "dot operator", use the smallest of the
> MathType pull-down choices; using this symbol will also include space on
> either side of the operator automatically)"
>
> Again, this is for PowerPoints specifically although I'm pretty sure our
> rules are similar for things like Word. For HTML pages, it's MathML.
>
> That said, I've seen the accompanying alt text vary. The safer
> characters
> listed in the deque link above I see people type directly ("=" rather
> than
> "equals"), but most of the time people seem to spell out the words
> entirely for safety. Some users like the "ascii math" often put in alt
> text (straight symbols from keyboard) but I feel if I'll support a broad
> range
> of screen readers then I can't really do that.
>
> I heard at CSUN that, as far as Windows 10 and the equation editor that
> comes
> with PowerPoint, that Narrator reads those out pretty well (we avoid the
> equation editor in favour of MathType for the screen reader issues
> mentioned
> above).
>
> NVDA seems to be the popular screen reader with the most symbol reading
> issues when it comes to math.
>
> cheers,
> Mallory
>
> On Mon, Apr 24, 2017, at 05:41 AM, Vyas, Nilima wrote:
> > Hello All,
> > This may appear as a rookie question, and your knowledge sharing is much
> > appreciated.
> >
> > I have been asked to key in all in-text equations, variables, any Math
> > operators into MathType and provide a corresponding alt-text. Now I
> > presume that new-gen screen readers are capable of reading simple Math
> > such as n = 20; p < 0.05, <6, and so on in text and to some extent Greek
> > characters as well.
> > My question is: Is this a necessary accessibility requirement for simple
> > math like n = 20; p < 0.05, <6, and so on. If it isn't, then the stakes
> > (in terms of data integrity) of going about MathTyping and alt-texting
> > are pretty high.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your responses.
> > Vyas.
> >
> > ****
> > > > > > > > > > > > >