Mathshare Accessibility Features
Updated 08-14-20
Released Features:
| Feature | What it does | Who it helps (specific & nonspecific) |
| Synchronized Highlighting | Highlights text word by word while speaking it aloud | People who have difficulty differentiating math terms. Helpful for people with dyslexia and dyscalculia. |
| Sketchpad | A space for students to draw their thoughts | People who have difficulty with numbers or typing. Helpful for students with dyscalculia or math anxiety |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Each math function has their own keyboard combination | People who are blind/low vision or are unable to use a mouse/trackpad. Helpful when using screen readers and switch devices. |
| Speech to text | Transcribes speech for explaining work | People who have difficulty writing, typing, or spelling. Helpful for people with dyslexia or fine motor impairments |
| Tooltips | Helpful information that appears in a small black box when the mouse hovers over a button or link. | People who are learning to use keyboard combinations. Helpful for people who rely on keyboard navigation, or people who have difficulty using a mouse. |
| Cross out | Places a blue x over selected text and then removes it when the step is added as a “clean up” step | People who prefer a visual cue for when a term is crossed out. Helpful for people who are visual learners |
| Calculate | Solves and crosses out simple math problems that you first highlight and then click the “calc” button | People who have difficulty calculating smaller pieces of the problem, whether due to difficulty writing or focusing on the rest of the problem. Helpful for students with fine motor difficulties, executive dysfunction, or difficulties in attentional processing. |
| Adjustable Font Colors | Users can change the color of numbers and text in a step and carried through to all additional steps. Helpful to track the history of numbers and variables through a solution. | People who are visual learners, or who have difficulty tracking terms. Helpful for people with dyslexia or dyscalculia. |
| Word Problem Support | Allows for use of word problems | Teachers who want to use more complex problems or real-world examples to engage students |
| Cleaning Up | Removes unnecessary marks, such as removing terms that have been crossed out | People who get confused by visual clutter in a math problem, or who need clearer steps. Helpful for students with learning disabilities. |
| Explain Your Work | Allows an explanation for each step, keeping track of the problem-solving process | People who get stuck, or find it useful to verbalize their problem-solving process. Helpful for people with learning disabilities |
| Steps | Presents each problem in steps to show how you got there | People who want to see how they got to a solution. Helpful for people who have difficulty with executive functioning, and people with math anxiety. |
| Clear Layout | Colors, fonts, and icons intentionally chosen to be clear, non-distracting, and easy to read. (For example: larger fonts, high contrast, and colors that are easy to tell apart) | People who like to read things easily, need clear layouts, or need help differentiating sections. Helpful for people with low vision, learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism. |
| Adjustable letter spacing and line height | Letter spacing changes the distance between letters. Line height changes the distance between lines of text | People with difficulty reading, particularly people with dyslexia. |
| Text to Speech (TTS) | Speaks equations and explanations for each step aloud | People who have difficulty reading math or are still learning to read math. Helpful for people with dyslexia, dyscalculia, low vision, and those still learning to read math. |
Limited Release:
These items are not fully accessible or are in the process of being fully tested for different needs.
| Feature | What it will do | Who it will help | Status |
| Screen Reader Support | Descriptive labels for actions and sections | People who use screen readers, such as people who are blind Tested with NVDA and Voice Over | Partially implemented |
| Tab and keyboard navigation | Enables use Mathshare with only a keyboard | People that need to use the keyboard or switch like device for input. | Partially implemented |
| Color Palette | Change the colors used in the website | People who prefer higher or lower contrast, or who are visual learners. Helpful for people who have low vision or are colorblind | Not implemented |
Questions or Feedback?
Have any questions? Want to help test some of these features? Email us at mathshare@benetech.org or through the contact form.