Why Accessible Math?
STEM Equity
Significant barriers exist in education and employment for disabled people in science and engineering, with 65% of STEM workers with disabilities holding less than a bachelor’s degree education (NCSES, 2023). While 11% of doctoral degrees awarded in 2021 went to people with disabilities, social sciences had the highest rate (13%) and engineering had the lowest rate (8%) (NCSES, 2023). Scientists and engineers with disabilities have a higher unemployment rate than both peers without disabilities and the general U.S. populations (Bernard, 2021).
In spite of significant research and our own lived experience demonstrating the strengths and creativity that disabled people bring the STEM fields, multiple barriers exist to disability inclusion. Faculty mentors who identify as disabled are important as role models, but all faculty can be instrumental in supporting students with disabilities, the science and engineering fields, and ultimately society as a whole.
Information Conveyed by Equations
We know that mathematics is an integral part of engineering content, but have you ever considered the information conveyed in an equation? Glancing at an equation or formula conveys visual information such as the length, hierarchy, complexity, use of parentheses, fractions, exponents, and often the context of the equation. Without the visual representation for support, the cognitive load of forming that same mental picture is much higher. Consider the following versions of this simple equation and the information gained from the spoken and visual representations.
Auditory Version of Equation (click to reveal)
Audio Reading of Equation (Microsoft, 2022)
Transcript of Equation (click to reveal)
Heading level 1 Math equation example 1. Heading level 2 solve for x colon.
Equation two plus three over four, times x, equals x minus, three over four.
Left side constant and term. 2 plus, three over four, times x
Left side constant. 2
Left side term. Plus, three over four, times x
Middle comparison. Equals
Right side term and constant. x minus, three over four.
Right side term. X
Right side constant. minus three over four
Visual of the Equation (click to reveal)
LaTeX input into Canvas Equation Editor: 2 + \frac{3}{4}x = x – \frac{3}{4}
Video Demonstration of Alt Text and Screen Reader (click to reveal)
This YouTube video was a keynote address from mathematician Zach Lattin, who shares his passion for mathematics and accessibility in STEM (Lattin, 2022).
- Beginning at timestamp 21:30, Zach provides sample alt text for an image and unintentionally illustrates the difficulty of creating a mental picture while unable to see the image.
- Zach shares compelling reasons to create accessible math content so that blind mathematicians like him can share the pain of wrestling with complex equations like their sighted colleagues.
- He shares the text and symbolic versions of a definition to illustrate the differences between representations favored by various audiences.
- He demonstrates the use of a screen reader to navigate through the hyperbolic tangent definition using an equation built with MathType using MathML.
- Finally, in his closing thoughts, Zach share how accessibility efforts in STEM fields can be compared to the limit definition of a derivative.