Primary links to documents
Bio provided to conference organisers
Download Index.Qmd (the source file for this talk).
Educating blind students in STEM so they can work in STEM
to be presented on 20 January 2023 at the SPEVI conference
Abstract
The accessibility of mathematical and graphical content is improving, especially for any blind person working in a discipline undergoing fast evolution. Correct selection of the most accessible tools is crucial if blind high school students with natural talent or aptitude towards STEM disciplines is to result in them successfully undertaking a university education in STEM, and ultimately obtaining meaningful employment that uses that education.
Main stream tools developed in recent years that leverage the best HTML has to offer are outstripping traditional tools like MS Word and the dreaded pdf format. Documents are being born accessible. I prove this by way of demonstration.
I make no secret that I believe blind people are currently limited by their failure to keep abreast of the best tools that are on offer today. I will demonstrate tools that are in use within first year statistics courses which I teach, because I believe they should also be within the capability of many blind high school students who could make use of them to create documents blind people can read for themselves. These documents include mathematical symbols and equations as well as simple yet effective formatting, all drafted in plain text that could be typed up on any braille device.
I will show that building simple websites that provide greater accessibility is actually not all that hard, if investment is made in learning the right tools. A blind person does not need to learn HTML, use a GUI or worry about those inaccessible or unfriendly software options commonly used by the sighted world in which we live. If they work for blind people, they could be employed by sighted people who work for organisations creating accessible content for blind people to consume.
Resources for this presentation can be found at a page built using the tools outlined in my SPEVI23 presentation.
My life is all HTML
Practically every document I create for myself, my students, or for sharing with any audience is turned into HTML. For example, take a look at the lecture notes for a second year course in regression models that I first taught in Semester 1, 2022. I’ll do so again soon so some updates will almost certainly be needed over summer.
I might also turn my documents into another format to meet someone’s specific demands, but that is perhaps the last thing I do.
Why use HTML?
It all comes down to having good screen reader service in HTML documents.
- Using HTML keeps me at the cutting edge of screen reader development.
- Notably, good presentation of mathematics, navigation of tables, etc.
HTML documents are easily refreshed.
- In fact, the presentation I am using today is instantly refreshed if I happen to find a typo as I proceed.
HTML documents are easily adjusted to meet the needs of low-vision users. Font size is simple with Ctrl+ and adding better colour schemes is increasingly common.
The things that make HTML work well for blind and low-vision people are closely related to the things my (sighted) students also want from the documents I provide.
HTML is easily created from markdown source files.
What is markdown?
The name is a poke at the plethora of markup languages like HTML, which all add codes to our prose to obtain the formatting we desire.
Markdown minimises the need to think about formatting though, with many aspects determined by white space.
Markdown does add in some text to generate specific outcomes, but the additions are very readable.
- For example, a level 2 heading is generated using
## My Heading. - and bullet points are a doddle.
- numbered lists are also easily generated…
- first item
- second item
- last item.
A brief look over the source file (link above) for this talk will show people how clear the original markdown is to read.
A side note for Braille users
Courtesy of the use of various brackets [, ], (, ), {, }, and various symbols easily obtained on a QWERTY keyboard, users might find 8 dot computer Braille easier to work with on their Braile displays. This is sensible for anyone doing anything involving coding/programming where case and/or syntax is crucial.
Mathematical expressions
Whether it is MathML or MathJax, presentation of mathematical content is easy in HTML.
We do NOT need to use images for equations with questionable alt text additions.
Mathematical expressions are either written into paragraphs such as noting that \(y=\alpha+\beta x\), or using a line of their own.
\[y=\alpha+\beta x\]
The only difference between the two expressions is that the first is created using $y=\alpha+\beta x$ while the second has an extra dollar at both ends $$y=\alpha+\beta x$$
This notation is from an old typesetting tool called LaTeX. Many scientific documents are written up using LaTeX but the problem is that the vast majority of LaTeX users know only how to turn their source code into a pdf for sharing.
N.B. If you know anyone still using LaTeX, make sure they are converting their material to HTML. It is possible, but not well-known and therefore uncommon.
How was this all done?
I’m mostly using a particular flavour of markdown that aligns with the statistical software I use.
I wrote my own editor which works well with a screen reader but I often just edit these files in Notepad.
I’ve been using R markdown almost exclusively for about seven years. That is, I have not opened MS Word or any other word processing software with the serious intent of creating a document for anyone’s pleasure.
I also used LaTeX for writing documents way back wehn, but I don’t do that anymore either.
Using Quarto
Quarto is the next generation of R markdown, but it is totally independent of R so is where I’m heading next. This talk is my third use of a Quarto document.
It is what I recommend in 2023, and what you should investigate. See the start page at this link
Quarto is free and runs on all operating systems.
Quarto documents can be as simple as basic markdown files, but also works very well with R and Python so that code can be easily interspersed with prose.
Some R:
mean(c(1, 3, 5))[1] 3sd(c(1, 3, 5))[1] 2or some Python
Name = "Jenny"
print("Hello "+Name)Hello JennyN.B. Given the source document is plain text, a separate text editor is required. I’m working on getting one built.
Running Quarto
Quarto is a command line tool. That definitely introduces some challenges, but anyone wanting to progress in STEM is going to have to know how to use the command line. My new editor will remove this challenge.
Not just HTML
The standard output file is an HTML document, but numerous others exist.
Conversion to a plethora of file types in fact, even MS Word and pdf if you must.
Your students might need to use a format other than HTML for their teachers.
So why should you use Quarto?
Well if a STEM student is going to use Quarto they should see others using Quarto.
I suggest that this is advice relevant in most learning settings. My students see me use the tools I expect them to use.
Your blind and low-vision students probably won’t see their high school teachers use the tools that suit blind or low-vision students.
That means they need to see their RTVs and/or parents use the right tools.
Knowing what the right tools are is therefore essential if the budding STEM student is going to ever be successful at university in STEM subjects let alone foot it in the job market.
The range of accessible tools is a fraction of the tools available to sighted STEM students.
Proof
2022 was the first year in my life that I did not need to hire a sighted assistant to help me do my job.
- I marked all of my assignments/exams because my students use the right tools.
- I can proof-read my work much more efficiently and effectively.
- I can update things super-fast if I do find a stuff-up, even while I am delivering a lecture.
- I am actually more efficient than many of my sighted colleagues who have not yet embraced these modern ways of working.
Making contact
Send messages via e-mail (link up top). Please state you saw this presentation to help me put your questions in context.
Your questions
Q: How young can a blind person be to use Quarto?
A: 10. I would expect my 10 year old (sighted) daughter to manage to work with Quarto. At that age, I would have been able to do so as a blind person already conversant with a screen reader. It would help a lot if the blind 10 year old was also using braille.
Q: Would I work with Australian universities?
A: Yes. I don’t have international prejudices. If a blind person stands to benefit, then I have time to commit. Academics do need recognition for our efforts though.