Richer Course and Content Design:
Math Formulas accessible with screen readers - 3900.50
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Math formulas are a critical part of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. Participants in these courses expect that all aspects of the course are accessible, including the math formulas. Now instructors and students can use screen readers to access math formulas when creating, editing and viewing content.
This update helps people who use a screen reader independently access math formulas. This new functionality also supports easier content creation since no added effort is needed to make the math formulas accessible.
Image 1. Math formulas added with the math editor and LaTeX equations read with screen readers
Image 2. Math formulas read with screen readers in user’s local language (Spanish)
Key considerations:
- Math formulas alternative text and language depends on the Learn Ultra course language configuration.
- Screen reader language, speed, and voice depend on the user’s device language configuration.
- Users should confirm that their device and Learn Ultra course have the same language configuration.
- Languages supported depends on WIRIS library. As of October 2022, WIRIS supports Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Spanish.
- If the Learn Ultra course is configured to use a language not supported by WIRIS, math formulas are read in English.
- Math formulas can be added in content editors using the math editor or by typing LaTeX equations. Both formats are accessible with screen readers.
- LaTeX equations display as text in the content editor. When users save the text, the LaTeX equations render as images. The screen reader reads the equations as text in the content editor and reads the math formulas when rendered as images.
- Content editors that have the math editor option also render LaTeX equations.
- LaTeX equations are not rendered inside code snippets because LaTeX equations are treated as part of the code format.
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.