[ueb-ed] Mathematics - Alt Text tip

From: George Bell <george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "ueb-ed@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ueb-ed@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2014 11:40:12 +0000

During a recent training session, it emerged that many of the attendees were 
unaware of how valuable Word's Alt Text could be in preparing braille versions 
of mathematics material which included MathType.  This is a £40 add-in for Word 
which allows you to create equations and such like in many other applications 
as well.

They had been preparing tactile illustrations of many equations which was 
seriously time consuming and costly.

Hopefully this simple example will not be destroyed by my Outlook.

In the text is a MathType equation which appears as follows.

[cid:image001.png@01CF774D.4DEA46A0]

Most screen readers will simply glace over this saying "Graphic".

However, if you right click on the MathType Object (the equation), the 
following will appear:

[cid:image002.png@01CF774B.08D011A0]

If you now click on "Format Object", and Select the "Alt Text" tab, you can add 
a description which explains the equation, such as shown below:

[cid:image007.jpg@01CF774D.4DEA46A0]

When the screen reader now encounters this equation, it will read the 
description *you* have provided.

However, there is a bonus when this is now imported from Word into the Duxbury 
Braille Translator.

The equation itself will be converted, but in addition, the Alt Text will also 
be included in the braille text.

I'll leave you to ponder.

George.

Attachment: oledata.mso
Description: oledata.mso

Attachment: image003.wmz
Description: image003.wmz

Follow-Ups:
- [ueb-ed] Re: Mathematics - Alt Text tip
  - From: David Spybey

[ueb-ed] Mathematics - Alt Text tip

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