Making Math Accessible

"Save As DAISY" is Here and Support for Math is Next

It's been widely heralded and now it's officially here:  Microsoft's and DAISY's "Save As DAISY XML" Word add-in has moved from being a beta to being official.  You can get it from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=208610. DAISY's official press release will give you more details.

Now that this release is out, Microsoft and DAISY have begun the requirements process for what goes into version 2.  They have already said that supporting math is planned for the next version. Needless to say, we're working with them to make sure support for MathType and Equation Editor equations will be seamless and rock solid.   Version two probably won't be out until the fall, but I'm sure there will be beta releases well before then.

Math in DAISY is encoded as MathML. The details for this are described in the MathML in DAISY Modular Extension that was approved last year by the DAISY board. With MathML, math is fully accessible.  Download MathPlayer from our website and see for yourself what can be done to make math encoded in MathML accessible.

The math accessibility train is really chugging along.

Kentucky Promotes Use of MathML in Textbook Adoption

It is always nice to be the bearer of good news. Well...I've got GREAT news today! The Kentucky Department of Education has announced that the state will grant preferential procurement status to math textbook titles submitted by publishers who use Mathematical Markup Language (MathML). That's right -- publishers who create digital math content using MathML will get a leg up in the competition over textbooks made the old fashioned way with graphic images. And the reason, of course, is accessibility. So, for all you advocates of math accessibility out there, here's a reason to celebrate!

Kentucky's move to promote math accessibility is something every state should put into place. So be sure to tell your state education leaders about Kentucky's progress on getting accessible math in the classroom. Will your state be next? With your help, it can be! Read more about this great development on our Accessibility News page.

Multiple Perspectives Conference, Columbus Ohio, April 22-23, 2008

I will be presenting a talk during the Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability 2008 Conference: Looking Back & Thinking Ahead at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. This will be the eighth year the university has held this conference, which focuses on various aspects of disability inclusion and accessibility in education. My session is entitled Accessible Math Technology: A Status Update, and will be held on April 23 at 10:30 AM. During my presentation, I'll be talking about the assistive technology products which support accessible math, as well as work to enhance math access in MathPlayer such as customized math speech and Nemeth braille support. For information on this and other conferences where we will be speaking or exhibiting, see our Events Schedule.

CSUN Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, Los Angeles CA, Mar 12-15, 2008

We will be exhibiting at the CSUN Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles CA. Stop by booth 330 and see the accessibility features of MathPlayer and MathType. Since this is the first CSUN conference since math was made an official part of DAISY, we expect a lot of interest in math accessibility. Neil Soiffer and Steve Noble will also be speaking in four different sessions during the conference. For a detailed listing of these sessions, and for information on other conferences where we will be speaking or exhibiting, see our Events Schedule.

LDA International Conference, Chicago IL, Feb 27-Mar 1, 2008

I will be participating in a panel session at the Learning Disabilities Association Annual International Conference at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. LDA is the largest non-profit volunteer organization advocating for individuals with learning disabilities in the nation, and will be celebrating its 45th anniversary at the conference. The panel session is entitled NIMAS and IDEA 2004: Student Success Through Accessible Instructional Materials, and will be held on February 27 at 8:30 AM. For information on this and other conferences where we will be speaking or exhibiting, see our Events Schedule.

Presentation at the First International Technology-based Learning with Disability Conference

I was pleased to be part of the First International Conference on Technology-based Learning with Disability (LWD-07), held July 19-20, 2007, at Wright State University. In my session, I explored the concept that making math accessible is as much a public policy issue as it is a technological one. You can read the synopsis of my presentation at Universal Design for Math Learning: Bridging the Technology and Policy Divide. For even more information about the connection of public policy and math accessibility, see our resource page What are the public policy issues involved in making math accessible?

Public Comments on Math Accessibility Submitted to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

On September 6, 2007, I was delighted to appear before the National Mathematics Advisory Panel to provide comments to this group. This panel was created by President Bush's Executive Order in 2006, with the purpose to advise the President and the US Department of Education on the best use of scientifically-based research on the teaching and learning of mathematics. Please see the panel's website for a copy of our public comments. For further information about the need to make math accessible, read Why is math accessibility important?

MathPlayer to support accessibility in Greek

Design Science is pleased to introduce our newest Accessibility Partner, the University of Athens. Professor Georgios Kouroupetroglou, at the University of Athens, Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, in Athens, Greece, is directing the current development of Greek language support in our MathPlayer technology.

As development of future MathPlayer enhancements continues, we'll be happy to collaborate with other language experts in the mathematics field. Please let us know if you are interested, support@dessci.com .  Sprechen Sie Deutsch, anyone?  Find out more information about our Accessibility Partners.

MathPlayer 2.1 is released

In case you missed it, one of the big accessibility news items from Design Science of late is our release of MathPlayer 2.1, our Internet Explorer plugin for displaying and speaking MathML. MathPlayer 2.1 adds support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and synchronized highlighting of mathematical phrases as they are spoken for those with partial sight and learning disabilities. For more details, please read our MathPlayer 2.1 Press Release or visit the MathPlayer home page.