Creating new learning materials

When creating new learning materials, consider building them as webpages (such as Canvas pages or modules) or Microsoft Word documents instead of PDF documents.

Use Canvas

Canvas supports an accessible webpage approach in several key ways:

• Canvas offers you easy ways to enter math formulas. In the Canvas Rich Content Editor, you can select a toolbar button or select Insert > Equation to open the Equation Editor.
  • Also in the Equation Editor, you can turn on the “Directly Edit LaTeX” toggle and enter (or paste) LaTeX code directly into the field.
  • Check out Canvas’ tips for math expressions and tips for chemistry.
• Behind the scenes, Canvas automatically converts these equations into accessible MathML, and renders it properly and legibly in assignments, discussions, pages, quizzes, syllabi, discussions, announcements, and replies. See Penn State’s guide to Canvas Math Editor and Accessibility.

Use Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word now offers a wide variety of ways to write or edit equations or formulas in documents. It has its own new equation editor, it properly renders equations entered as LaTeX or UnicodeMath, and it has an “ink-to-math converter” that will take handwritten input (via stylus or finger) and convert it to math notation. All of these options output formulas that can be read natively by assistive technologies.

In addition, WordtoEPUB is a free software tool from the DAISY Consortium that can convert accessible Word documents into accessible EPUB documents. EPUBs can be read in many applications, including the free (and highly accessible) Thorium Reader for Windows, Mac and Linux, and EasyReader for iOS and Android.

Updating existing learning materials

You may have previously developed materials with equations and formulas that need to be updated to be accessible. Here are some approaches you can use:

1. Begin with the Source Document, not the PDF: If you have PDFs built from TeX/LaTeX source, you will get better results by starting with your TeX/LaTeX source document (i.e. in Overleaf) as opposed to the PDF.
2. Use a Conversion Tool: Here are some options that might help you get accessible output from that TeX/LaTeX source document:
   • LaTeXML is a NIST-supported, public-domain command-line tool that provides a two-step pathway: (1) from TeX source to XML, (2) from XML to HTML/MathML.
     • The research-sharing platform arXiv has developed a process for large-scale conversion of TeX source documents to HTML by way of LaTeXML. If you follow their best practices and use only LaTeX packages they support, you may be able to use this process for your conversions.
   • TeX4ht compiles a variety of tools and options for producing HTML & MathML from a LaTeX source file.
     • One of the TeX4ht developers has proposed a semi-automated process for creating HTML output from Overleaf using GitHub Actions.
   • Pandoc for web and the Pandoc command-line application are open-source tools supporting conversion of documents to and from a wide variety of formats, including LaTeX and HTML.
     • University of South Carolina offers a step-by-step guide to using the pandoc web application to convert LaTeX to HTML and MathML.
     • Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering offers a step-by-step guide to using the pandoc command-line application to convert LaTeX to HTML.
   • GrindEQ Math Utilities include a LaTeX-to-Word converter among other tools. This paid tool can be used alone to produce accessible Word documents, or in conjunction with WordToEPUB to produce accessible EPUB documents.

Moving from handwritten to digitally-composed formulas

Handwritten formulas exist as images, and as such, can’t be interpreted and read aloud by mainstream assistive technologies. Digital formulas can be read aloud or converted to formats that can be read aloud. If you or your students are accustomed to writing out formulas and calculations by hand but aren’t familiar with ways to create them digitally, here are some tools to digitally compose formulas:

• Desmos is a free online tool with which undergraduates may already be familiar as a scientific/graphic calculator and math toolkit; it is used at high school level in many areas. Desmos’ graphing/calculator interface allows both input and output of LaTeX equations that could be then pasted into Canvas.
  • Desmos uses a custom version of the open-source MathQuill tool for formula creation, but students can also try MathQuill on its own.
  • GraTeX is a free online tool to convert equations from Desmos Graphic Calculator into graphs and LaTeX images for use in LaTeX documents.
• For users already familiar with LaTeX, there are several online tools to quickly convert LaTeX to MathML, including temml and math-core.
• Several online paid subscription tools, including MathWrite and MathPix/MathPix Snip, can recognize math expressions from handwritten notes, images, or typed documents and convert those inputs into properly-formatted LaTeX, JSON, Markdown or other formats.
• Microsoft Word now offers a wide variety of ways to write or edit equations or formulas in documents. It has its own new equation editor, it properly renders equations entered as LaTeX or UnicodeMath, and it has an “ink-to-math converter” that will take handwritten input (via stylus or finger) and convert it to math notation. All of these options output formulas that can be read natively by assistive technologies.

Finally, as you gain experience applying these techniques and discovering others, it’s important to share information with colleagues who are working on similar projects, as we’ll describe on the next page.