Accessible Math

• PDFs have limited support for MathML, the structured format that makes math accessible to screen readers and literacy tools.
• As a result, equations are often just images. Even with alt text, these image descriptions are plain text, inconsistent, and not navigable, so they don’t provide an equivalent experience, especially for anything beyond very simple math.
• Tagging the PDF doesn’t fix this if the math itself has no underlying structure.

Demonstration

Math with a Screen Reader: HTML vs PDF (watch on MathTech YouTube)

• Students who use assistive technologies like screen readers and other text-to-speech tools can encounter significant barriers when accessing math content in PDF format.
• Many PDFs generated from LaTeX and other tools lack the necessary semantic structure that makes equations fully accessible and navigable by screen readers. As a result, students who use assistive technologies may be excluded from learning experiences.
• To ensure equal access, it is important to provide course materials in a second, more accessible format alongside PDFs, such as HTML with MathML or Word documents with OMML.

Distribute your PDF along with one other accessible alternative, such as HTML with MathML or Microsoft Word with OMML (Office Math Markup Language).

This is known as the Plus-One (+1) Approach (Tobin and Behling, 2018) which aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines.

• Encodes both visual presentation and semantic meaning of math.
• Fully supported by modern screen readers and math plugins like MathCAT.
• Allows navigation, copying, and interaction with equations.

Learn More About Accessible Math Formats

• W3C MathML Accessibility
• Microsoft OMML

*Requires a recent LaTeX distribution with Tagged PDF 2.0 support (e.g. TeX Live 2025+), appropriate \DocumentMetadata{...} settings, and up-to-date assistive technology with math ad-on (e.g. MathCat)

• Option 1: Use the Canvas Equation Editor
• Option 2: Use the Microsoft Word Equation Editor
• Option 3: Use Pandoc to Convert Entire Files or Batches of Files
• Option 4 (Advanced): Use LaTeX to Generate Tagged PDF 2.0

Option 1 
Use the Canvas Equation Editor to Create Equations

Enter LaTeX or use the visual tools in the Canvas Rich Content Editor’s equation editor to create one equation at a time.

Math is rendered as a vector image in the browser and stored as MathML behind the scenes, which makes it fully accessible to assistive technologies like screen readers.

Canvas Quick Links

• How to Use the Equation Editor in the Canvas Rich Content Editor
• Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Math Expressions Using LaTeX
• Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Chemistry Using LaTeX 

Option 2 
Use the Microsoft Word Equation Editor to Create Equations

Enter LaTeX using Word’s Linear input or use the visual equation tools in the Microsoft Word Equation Editor to create one equation at a time.

Equations are rendered visually and stored as OMML (Office Math Markup Language) behind the scenes, which makes them accessible to assistive technologies like screen readers when the document is used in compatible formats (such as DOCX).

PDFs exported from Microsoft365 apps like Word and PowerPoint can include accessible math, but it’s always important to test with assistive technologies like screen readers.

Microsoft Quick Links

• Linear format equations using UnicodeMath and LaTeX in Word
• Make math inclusive for everyone with Microsoft365
• Word PDF Accessibility
• Create Accessible PDFs

Option 3
Use Pandoc to Convert Entire Files or Batches of Files

Use Pandoc to convert .tex files or batches of files to HTML with MathML or Word docs with OMML. There are two options for using Pandoc:

• Use Pandoc in the Browser
• Install Pandoc locally

Pandoc Quick Links

• Pandoc Official User’s Guide
• Harvard Pandoc User’s Guide
  • Converting LaTeX Documents to Accessible Formats Using Pandoc
  • Troubleshooting and Advanced Options for Accessible Pandoc Conversions
  • Installing and Using Pandoc Locally

Option 4 
Use LaTeX to Generate a Tagged PDF 2.0

There have been noteworthy advances in using LaTeX to generate PDF 2.0 files with semantically encoded math and, in some cases, partially or fully navigable with assistive technologies like screen readers. However, results are not yet consistent or reliable:

• Behavior varies widely across PDF viewers and screen readers.
• Some combinations can read math but do not support robust navigation within sub-expressions.
• Support is often limited to specific tools and versions and is not available on all platforms.

Because of these limitations, we do not currently recommend LaTeX-generated PDF 2.0 as a primary accessibility strategy for math. It may be useful for research, pilots, or advanced users who are actively testing specific AT combinations, but for most teaching scenarios, DAS recommends the “Plus-One Approach” by providing: 

• HTML with MathML (e.g., Canvas pages)
• Word/PowerPoint with OMML

We are closely following ongoing development and will update this guidance as PDF-based math accessibility stabilizes.

Sample PDF 2.0 with MathML

Follow the link and click the button labeled “Generate Tagged PDF”, then click the “PDF” link in the output to download a copy.

Generate a PDF that represents MathML via structure elements 

Author requirements

1. Install a LaTeX distribution that supports Tagged PDF and PDF 2.0. 
   Example: TeX Live 2025 or later 
      
2. At the very top of your main .tex file, before \documentclass, add a \DocumentMetadata{...} declaration that enables Tagged PDF and MathML for formulas. 

Viewer requirements

Recommended assistive technology stacks for viewing accessible math (as of 2026)

LaTeX → PDF Quick Links

• The LaTeX Tagged PDF Project (Guides for creating PDF 2.0 with LaTeX)
• The TeX User’s Group (TUG) (Download a recent distribution of LaTeX)
• Foxit PDF reader (Free PDF reader for Windows and Mac)
• NVDA (Windows-only screen reader)
• MathCAT Plugin (Windows-only math plugin for NVDA and JAWS)