Accessing mathematical formulae within digital documents is challenging for blind people. In particular, document formats designed for printing, such as PDF, structure math content for visual access only. While accessibility features exist to present PDF content non-visually, formulae support is limited to providing replacement text that can be read by a screen reader or displayed on a braille bar. However, the operation of inserting replacement text is left to document authors, who rarely provide such content. Furthermore, at best, description of the formulae are provided. Thus, conveying detailed understanding of complex formulae is nearly impossible. In this contribution we report our ongoing research on Axessibility, a LaTeX package framework that automates the process of making mathematical formulae accessible by providing the formulae LaTeX code as PDF replacement text. Axessibility is coupled with external scripts to automate its integration in existing documents, expand user shorthand macros to standard LaTeX representation, and custom screen reader dictionaries that improve formulae reading on screen readers.
Axessibility: a LaTeX Package for Mathematical Formulae Accessibility in PDF Documents
Eugenia Taranto
2018-01-01
Abstract
Accessing mathematical formulae within digital documents is challenging for blind people. In particular, document formats designed for printing, such as PDF, structure math content for visual access only. While accessibility features exist to present PDF content non-visually, formulae support is limited to providing replacement text that can be read by a screen reader or displayed on a braille bar. However, the operation of inserting replacement text is left to document authors, who rarely provide such content. Furthermore, at best, description of the formulae are provided. Thus, conveying detailed understanding of complex formulae is nearly impossible. In this contribution we report our ongoing research on Axessibility, a LaTeX package framework that automates the process of making mathematical formulae accessible by providing the formulae LaTeX code as PDF replacement text. Axessibility is coupled with external scripts to automate its integration in existing documents, expand user shorthand macros to standard LaTeX representation, and custom screen reader dictionaries that improve formulae reading on screen readers.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
