Digital accessibility is imperative so everyone can access, interact with, and benefit from content, including those with disabilities. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines represent important academic areas that often include educational content such as complex images, graphs, equations, symbols, notations, syntax, and interactive elements, which requires particular attention to ensure accessibility. 

Strategies for Developing Accessible STEM Coursework

Equations can be created accessibly within Canvas or in your documents (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, and Google Slides). However, you should avoid PDFs (Portable Document Files) as there are no built-in or third-party tools that work directly with them to ensure their accessibility.

Use MathML

MathML (Mathematical Markup Language) (W3C) is a text-based XML markup language designed for creating accessible math equations. 

Create Accessible LaTeX 

LaTeX is not natively accessible to assistive technology but can be easily converted to accessible content using equation editors. 

  • If you are familiar with using the LaTeX markup language, you can simply add it within the Canvas built-in equation editor from the RCE or within the equation editor in Word or PowerPoint. 
  • Don't fret if you are unfamiliar with LaTeX, as Equatio (link to Equatio page) also allows you to create accessible LaTeX equations that can be copied and pasted into the Word or PowerPoint equation editor (using the 'Copy Math As' feature (Everway)).

Provide Text Descriptions

In conjunction with your mathematical notations, include plain-text explanations of equations and their significance.

Diagrams, charts, and graphs, are complex images that often play a critical role in conveying information in STEM courses. To make these types of content accessible:

Provide Alternative (Alt) Text

  • If you are trying to determine whether your image requires alt text, refer to the Alt Text Decision Tree (Google Slides)
  • Include concise descriptions of the image (120 characters or less).
  • For detailed images, provide a summary of key information.
  • When determining what to write, don't just ask "What is this?" Ask: "What information is this image conveying in this specific lesson?"
  • Note: For alt text, you should never enter LaTeX (or other formula formatting) into the alt text field, as assistive technology will not recognize it in that field. In this case, if you entered the LaTeX into the alt text field, $N_2$ will probably be pronounced, "dollar sign, capital N, underscore, two, dollar sign."

Use Long Descriptions

  • When alt text is insufficient, provide a detailed long description (W3C) in text below the image or in a linked document (an example is provided above for the Alt Text Decision Tree Long Description).
  • If using HTML, the “longdesc” attribute can help.

Label Key Elements

Accessible Data Tables

For accessibility, native files (e.g., Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Google Slides) are almost always the superior choice. Launched by Adobe in the early 1990s, the Portable Document Format (PDF) was designed to solve one specific problem: ensuring a document would look identical when printed from any computer, regardless of the software or printer used. While PDFs are designed to look exactly the same on any device (like digital paper), this rigidity makes them significantly harder for assistive technology to read and for students on mobile devices to access.

Here is why keeping your files in their original format (Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Google Slides) saves you time and frustration:

Easier Remediation (Fixing Errors)

  • Native Files: Accessibility is built-in. If you need to add alt-text to an image or fix a heading structure, you simply edit the document as you normally would. Both Microsoft and Google have built-in "Check Accessibility" tools that guide you through fixes in seconds.
  • PDF:  Making a PDF accessible requires a process called tagging and it requires general digital accessibility knowledge as its built-in tool doesn't provide the same guidance as Microsoft or Google. If you spot an error in a PDF, you usually cannot fix it easily. You must find the original file, edit it, re-export it, and re-tag it in Adobe Acrobat Pro—a complex and time-consuming workflow.

The Equation Nightmare (Jumbled or Inaccessible Conversion)

If you teach STEM subjects, this is the most critical factor.

PDFs struggle deeply with math. When you convert a document with equations to PDF, the equations often become "flat" images or jumbled text that screen readers cannot interpret.

  • Native Files or HTML: Modern screen readers can interpret equations entered into Word's equation editor using MathML or LaTeX, reading them out loud correctly (e.g., "Fraction: numerator a, denominator b").
  • In PDF: To make an equation readable, you often have to manually code invisible text descriptions for every single formula. It is technically difficult and incredibly slow.

Mobile Responsiveness (Reflow)

  • Native Files: A Google Doc or Word file "reflows." If a student increases the font size or views the file on a phone, the text wraps to fit the screen.
  • PDF: PDFs do not reflow. If a student zooms in on a phone to read small text, they have to constantly scroll left and right to read every sentence. 

The type of multimedia determines what is required to ensure they are accessible. If you're developing content, you can proactively produce the accessibility requirements to accompany your media to save time and reduce frustration while practicing the Born Accessible philosophy. Some best practices when recording multimedia content include:

Script-to-Transcript Pipeline

Writing a script or a detailed outline isn’t just about staying on track; it is your ready-made transcript. If you record from a script, you have 100% accurate text the moment you finish.

Show Before Tell

When preparing your script, add audible descriptions of the visuals that are required to understand the content. Avoid using vague phrases like "this goes here." Instead, talk through the vertical math: "We subtract 2 from both sides, so becomes just , and becomes 3." This provides a "built-in" descriptive audio experience for users with low vision and will save you time in the long run as an audio description would be required to meet accessibility requirements.

  • If you're having difficulty with clearly articulating your math and formulas, see the YuJa Panorama Math Accessibility Section below.

Diction and Clarity

Use your script to practice the pronunciation of complex technical terms. Clear diction ensures that auto-captioning engines (like Panopto) have a much higher success rate, leaving you with fewer edits later.

Accessibility requirements vary based on the nature of the media content. This chart serves as a primary reference for determining the necessary support services and enhancements required to ensure comprehensive access to multimedia content.

Definitions of Audio and Video Requirements:

Machine-Generated Captions

Synchronized captions generated by a machine or AI (Artificial Intelligence) using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). Such captions generated by Panopto, Zoom, or YouTube are only considered a rough draft and require human review and editing.

Human-Edited Captions

Synchronized captions such as those generated by Panopto, Zoom, or YouTube that are reviewed and edited for accuracy by a human. 

Captions are required to be 99% accurate; automatic speech recognition (ASR) or machine-generated captions are generally only 60-85% accurate.

Transcript

A standalone text version of an audio recording. Unlike captions, a transcript does not need to be synchronized with a file's timecode because there is no visual component for the student to watch.

Audio Description

While captions provide access to the spoken word, audio descriptions provide access to visual action. These descriptions narrate essential visual elements (e.g., silent experiments, complex maps, or time-lapse sequences) to ensure the instructional context is preserved for students who are blind or have low vision.

Descriptive Transcript

A descriptive transcript serves as the most comprehensive alternative to video content. While a standard transcript only captures spoken dialogue and audio cues, a descriptive transcript bridges the gap between sound and image by incorporating detailed descriptions of visual information.

Table 1: Accessibility Requirements for Media Types

Media Type Examples Machine-Generated Captions Human-Edited Captions Transcript Audio Description Descriptive Transcript
Pre-recorded Audio-only  podcasts, audio-only interviews (e.g., phone recording), recorded radio broadcasts No Not required but are useful for deaf and hard of hearing users. Yes No No
Pre-recorded Video-only lab demonstrations, time-lapse videos, animated charts, brand stories or social media reels, recorded webinars with busy slides N/A N/A N/A Yes, or Descriptive Transcript Yes, or Audio Description
Live Audio and Video Zoom meeting, Teams meeting, webinar Yes No No No, but it is helpful to describe what is shown or annotated on screen (also helps if posting recording as "on demand" recordings require audio description if not described audibly). No
Pre-recorded Audio and Video  recorded lectures, movies, interviews,  previously recorded Zoom meeting/event No

Yes;

99%+ accuracy required

 No Yes, if visuals needed to understand content are not described audibly No

 

Struggling with how to clearly articulate your math and formulas? One of the hardest parts of recording STEM content is narrating complex equations clearly and accurately. It's easy to forget to say, "carry the two" or "subtract five from seven" because you usually complete those steps in your head. You can use YuJa Panorama to do the heavy lifting for your script:

  1. Upload your math-heavy document (Word, PDF, or a Canvas Page) into your course.
  2. Once YuJa has processed the file, select the Alternative Formats Menu.
  3. Select Math Formats from the menu to open the submenu. Choose Math Text.

The Result

YuJa will provide a plain-text version of your equations that converts symbols into spoken English. You can copy and paste this directly into your recording script to ensure your narration is 100% accurate and easy for students to follow!

Need a refresher on using YuJa? 

You always have access to the Core Fundamentals | Accessibility in Canvas (Canvas) workshop, so you can review the content when you need it the most!

  • Upload your math-heavy document (Word, PDF, or Canvas Page) to your course.
  • After YuJa Panorama has processed the file, open the Alternative Formats menu.
  • Select Math Formats to open the submenu.
  • Choose Math Text.

    • Result

    YuJa Panorama will generate a plain-text version of your equations that converts mathematical symbols into spoken English. You can copy and paste this text directly into your recording script to help ensure your narration is accurate, complete, and easy for students to follow.

    Need a Refresher?

    You can revisit the Core Fundamentals | Accessibility in Canvas workshop at any time to review accessibility concepts and YuJa Panorama features when you need them.

    Conclusion

    Embedding accessibility into STEM-based college curricula fosters an inclusive learning environment, empowering all students to succeed. By addressing the unique challenges of complex images, equations, and interactive content, educators can ensure equitable access to STEM education. 

    Faculty