MathPix

What is an accessible document? 

A digital file that can be accessed, understood, and used by everyone, including people with disabilities who use assistive technologies such as screen readers or text-to-speech software. It will have properly structured headings, meaningful alternative text for images, readable tables, and content that can be interpreted accurately by assistive technology.

When creating accessible materials, Word and HTML documents are generally preferred because they retain document structure, headings, lists, links, and other accessibility features more effectively than PDFs. These formats are also easier to edit and convert into other accessible formats when needed.

Using Mathpix to Create Accessible STEM Documents

Mathpix is a free tool available to the Cornell community that can help improve accessibility, particularly for documents containing mathematical equations, scientific notation, scanned content, or handwriting. It can convert PDFs and images into editable formats, such as Microsoft Word and HTML, and convert equations to a format that is accessible to screen readers and other assistive technologies. 

What Mathpix Does Well

Mathpix is particularly effective at converting STEM materials that may otherwise be difficult to make accessible. 

  • Makes equations accessible: Mathpix can recognize and convert mathematical equations from PDFs, images, and even handwritten content into accessibly-formatted equations that assistive technologies can use.
  • Preserves STEM notation: It can capture mathematical symbols, scientific notation, chemical formulas, and other discipline-specific content that may not convert correctly with other tools.
  • Reduces manual typing: Recreating equations and complex notation can be time-consuming. Mathpix automates much of this process, saving significant time. It can even work directly with LaTeX files (.tex) and images of handwritten content. 
  • Produces editable content in formats such as Microsoft Word and HTML. These formats are preferred for accessibility.

How to Use Mathpix

Mathpix is available to use as a desktop app, a Chrome extension, a web app, and more.  

It is easiest to get started by using the Webapp:

  1. Go to Mathpix.com
  2. Click “Get Started” to create an account or log in
    • Be sure to use your Cornell email address
  3.  Launch the Mathpix Snip Webapp
  4. Upload a file (PDF, .tex file, screenshot, etc.)
    • For .tex files, upload them as a “Note”
  5. Make any edits (changes, corrections) as needed in the edit pane
  6. Save your work
  7. Click “Export as” in the top right corner to get a Word file (DOCX) or HTML file
    • These are the preferred file formats for accessibility

Next Steps with Your Mathpix-Created Document

After using Mathpix to convert content, additional steps are necessary to ensure your document is accessible:

  1. Proofread to identify and correct any conversion errors, especially when converting complex equations, handwritten materials, or low-quality scans. 
  2. Add any additional images not included in the original file (e.g., graphs, charts, etc.)
  3. Add image descriptions (alternative text) so that users of screen readers can access the information conveyed by charts, diagrams, and other visual elements. 
    • If you are looking for suggested image descriptions, the ASU image text generator is highly recommended for STEM image content. It saves you time by giving you a good starting point for complex images. 
  4. Verify all tables after conversion to ensure that rows, columns, headers, and data relationships have been preserved correctly. 
  5. As with all documents, a final accessibility review is always necessary to confirm that headings, lists, links, tables, reading order, color contrast, and other accessibility features meet standards. 

Alternatives to Mathpix

While Mathpix is particularly well-suited for STEM materials, it is not the only available solution. You are welcome to use any tools that best fits your workflow and needs. 

Here are some other options:

  1. PreTeXt.Plus creates well designed HTML files formatted using markup similar to LaTeX (not free)
  2. The Canvas Equation Editor lets you embed equations directly into your Canvas pages (including LaTeX markup)
  3. LaTeXML is a converter that can change a LaTeX document into XML format (where it can then be further converter to an accessible HTML or EPUB file) 

Support and Training

Mathpix has user guides on:

They also have short-form instructional videos on a range of use cases and topics, including:

Cornell's Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) can assist with questions about creating accessible course documents and Canvas materials. They have: