What is latest Update on LaTeX accessibility for screen readers (Aug 2024)?

pham_elaine

Hello everyone,

I'm currently using LaTeX to render equations in Canvas pages, but I've noticed that the equations are rendered as images. I'm concerned about their accessibility for students using screen readers.

I've heard discussions about MathJax being enabled to improve accessibility back in 2020, but I'm not sure of the latest updates on this.

Could anyone provide insights on:

1. The current status of LaTeX accessibility in Canvas, especially regarding screen readers.
2. Whether MathJax is now enabled in Canvas or if there's another solution.
3. Best practices for making LaTeX equations accessible in Canvas pages.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Chris

Hi @pham_elaine,

Form what I see, MathJax was added back in 2021.  Unfortunately, I'm not a math teacher, so my experience in this area is limited.  I believe equations are loaded as images as a fallback if the browser doesn't support MathJax or there are issues loading it, but there might be way more to this.  I've read some fantastic info around this from @James in the past, and perhaps if he has any free time in the future, he'd be able to comment on this, as he's a math teacher, a Canvas admin, and also a coder.

I hope the info I provided will help a little, and maybe someone else will be able to share more details with you as well.

-Chris