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 / D. Ahmetovic, T. Armano, C. Bernareggi, M. Berra, A. Capietto, S. Coriasco, N. Murru, A. Ruighi, E. Taranto - In: ASSETS '18: Proceedings[s.l] : ACM, 2018. - ISBN 9781450356503. - pp. 352-354 (( Intervento presentato al 20. convegno ACM SIGACCESS International Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) tenutosi a Galway nel 2018 [10.1145/3234695.3241029].

Axessibility: a LaTeX Package for Mathematical Formulae Accessibility in PDF Documents

D. Ahmetovic
;
C. Bernareggi;
2018

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.
Visual impairment; Document and Math accessibility
Settore INF/01 - Informatica
2018
Book Part (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
ahmetovic2018axessibility.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 100.44 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
100.44 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/698077
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 18
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 8
social impact