# Accessible Math ## expand\_more ## Overview Accessible math is about more than making equations visible on the screen. It requires encoding the structure and meaning of expressions so that screen readers, braille displays, and other assistive technologies can present them accurately and navigably. For most courses, that means creating math in at least one of these structural formats: - HTML with MathML (for web and Canvas content), or - Documents with Office Math Markup Language (OMML) (for Word/PowerPoint). Tools already in use at Harvard, like Canvas and Microsoft Word/PowerPoint, can produce these formats and provide students with a more robust, navigable math experience. Because PDFs often lack the structures needed to make math accessible, avoid using a PDF as the only format you share with students. ## PDFs Cannot Reliably Display 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)](https://youtu.be/Cxeh5MLNjNU?si=y2XP_o4PaNomIReU) ## Why It Matters - 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. --- ## Accessibility Strategy: The Plus-One Approach 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](https://udlguidelines.cast.org/). ## Why Formats like MathML and OMML Matter - 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](https://www.w3.org/TR/mathml4/#accessibility) - [Microsoft OMML](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/murrays/mathml-and-ecma-math-omml) ## Overview of Tools for Creating Accessible Math Sort ToolTypeOutputScreen Reader AccessibleBest ForLaTeX (traditional PDF) Authoring PDF (not tagged) Poor Print or visual reading only LaTeX (Tagged PDF 2.0*) Authoring Tagged PDF 2.0 with MathML Inconsistent Advanced LaTeX users; archival PDFs with navigable math Canvas Equation Editor Authoring HTML (MathML) Excellent Small-scale math input Microsoft Word Equation Editor Authoring OMML Excellent Individual equation input Pandoc Conversion LaTeX to HTML/ Word Excellent Full document conversion, Batch conversions Pandoc in the Browser Conversion LaTeX to HTML/ Word Excellent Full document conversion, Batch conversions \*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) --- ## How to Create Accessible Math from LaTeX - [Option 1: Use the Canvas Equation Editor](#canvas-equation-editor) - [Option 2: Use the Microsoft Word Equation Editor](#microsoft-word-equation-editor) - [Option 3: Use Pandoc to Convert Entire Files or Batches of Files](#pandoc-convert) - [Option 4 (Advanced): Use LaTeX to Generate Tagged PDF 2.0](#latex-tagged) ### 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. "[How do I use the Math Equation Editor in the Rich Content Editor?](https://community.instructure.com/en/kb/articles/662928-how-do-i-use-the-math-equation-editor-in-the-rich-content-editor)” by Instructure, [CC BY‑NC‑SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) #### Canvas Quick Links - [How to Use the Equation Editor in the Canvas Rich Content Editor](https://community.instructure.com/en/kb/articles/662928-unknown) - [Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Math Expressions Using LaTeX](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Resource-Documents/Canvas-Equation-Editor-Tips-Math-Expressions-Using-LaTeX/ta-p/387058) - [Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Chemistry Using LaTeX ](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Resource-Documents/Canvas-Equation-Editor-Tips-Chemistry-Using-LaTeX/ta-p/387060) --- ### 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. **Important: For equations created in Word to remain accessible, always follow accessible document authoring practices and use the recommended export methods.** #### Microsoft Quick Links - [Linear format equations using UnicodeMath and LaTeX in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/write-an-equation-or-formula-4f799df7-4ca4-4670-afd3-6135768b01d0) - [Make math inclusive for everyone with Microsoft365](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/make-math-inclusive-for-everyone-with-microsoft-365/4489147) - [Word PDF Accessibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/pdf/word/wordpdfaccessibility) - [Create Accessible PDFs](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-pdfs-064625e0-56ea-4e16-ad71-3aa33bb4b7ed) --- ### 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](https://pandoc.org/app/) - [Install Pandoc locally](https://pandoc.org/installing.html) #### Pandoc Quick Links - Pandoc Official User’s Guide - **Harvard Pandoc User’s Guide** - [Converting LaTeX Documents to Accessible Formats Using Pandoc](https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=fc39b1802bfefad448cafa95e391bf3f) - [Troubleshooting and Advanced Options for Accessible Pandoc Conversions](https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=a41d5ec42bf67ed448cafa95e391bfdf) - [Installing and Using Pandoc Locally](https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=23ba5e802bb67ed448cafa95e391bfd0) --- ### Option 4 Use LaTeX to Generate a Tagged PDF 2.0 **Status (Spring 2026): Experimental - not recommended for routine course use.** 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](#plus-one)” 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 ](https://latex3.github.io/tagging-project/documentation/wtpdf/larger-example#generate-a-pdf-that-represents-mathml-via-structure-elements) #### Author requirements 1. Install a [LaTeX distribution](https://www.tug.org/texlive/) 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) SortOperating SystemScreen ReaderMath PluginBrowserPDF ViewerWindows [NVDA](https://www.nvaccess.org/download/) [MathCAT](https://daisy.github.io/MathCAT/) Firefox or Chrome Adobe Acrobat Reader or [Foxit](https://www.foxit.com/pdf-reader/) Windows JAWS [MathCAT](https://daisy.github.io/MathCAT/) Chrome or Edge Adobe Acrobat Reader or [Foxit](https://www.foxit.com/pdf-reader/) macOS VoiceOver Native MathML support Safari Preview or Adobe Acrobat Reader #### LaTeX → PDF Quick Links - [The LaTeX Tagged PDF Project](https://latex3.github.io/tagging-project/) (Guides for creating PDF 2.0 with LaTeX) - [The TeX User’s Group (TUG)](https://www.tug.org/) (Download a recent distribution of LaTeX) - [Foxit PDF reader](https://www.foxit.com/pdf-reader/) (Free PDF reader for Windows and Mac) - [NVDA](https://www.nvaccess.org/download/) (Windows-only screen reader) - [MathCAT Plugin](https://daisy.github.io/MathCAT/) (Windows-only math plugin for NVDA and JAWS)