3.3 Accessible diagrams and interactive/dynamic elements

3.3.1 Interactive/dynamic

• Check that the software/system meets WCAG 2.1 level AA - ask the vendor, procure on this basis
• Check that mathematics is rendered via MathJax
• Add subtitles/closed captions to video
  • We do this by upload to YouTube, wait for automatic captions to be provided, download as transcript, correct in a text editor, upload, get YouTube to sync and then download as subtitles and add as a subtitle track using.
• Handwriting is an interactive/dynamic element which cannot be made accessible
  • If you handwrite in OneNote then some aspects of it can be accessed but it is complicated…

Don’t avoid using something if it currently can’t be made technically accessible but is important for other sorts of access.

• Handwriting and Geogebra aren’t fully accessible but it is really great for many disabled students.
• Provide an alternative way to access the same content or experience.
  • Rely on a ‘spine’ of accessible materials and make sure you are referencing them e.g. Hand annotate a gappy version of accessible notes and say aloud what you are doing where and have the full notes have what you are going to handwrite
• Tell students what is and isn’t accessible and who to contact if it is a problem. Know what you will do if they contact you!

3.3.2 Desmos

Desmos is screenreader accessible and also produces tactile diagrams. If you can redraw the graph in Desmos then do that and put a “Link to accessible Desmos sheet: LINK” in as the alterative text. So that none screenreader users can find the Desmos graph as well (it might help them too) put a link somewhere else as well.

3.3.3 BrailleR

If you are making some sorts of statistical graphs and you know how to use R (fairly well) then there is a BrailleR package which can create descriptions of some sorts of graphs automatically.

3.3.4 Output from code (and data)

If you made a diagram using data or code or some textbased input mechanism then provide that text or link to it somehow.

3.3.5 All of the rest

• DIAGRAM Center (http://diagramcenter.org/) has some great resources for those new to diagram description:
  • Poet Image Description Training Tool
  • Image description guidelines
  • Sample book
  • Webinar: http://diagramcenter.org/diagramwebinars.html#compleximages
• UKAAF has guidance on accessible images: https://www.ukaaf.org/accessible-images/
• NCAM (Old site) has guidelines and examples: http://ncamftp.wgbh.org/ncam-old-site/experience_learn/educational_media/stemdx.html

3.3.6 If having used the above you just don’t know what to do?

Some diagrams actually are so complex that a text description is unhelpful or they have a particular visual function, in that they are not required to communicate the mathematical nature of the object but they are required for the learner to grasp a visualisation of the object which in itself is needed somehow (e.g. image of a Klein bottle is a 2D representation of a 4D object embedded into 3D space, trying to describe it or make a tactile diagram is never going to work as well as the visual does for a sighted person as simply handing a blind person an appropriately well-made model, don’t be afraid to say “too complex/whatever for description, please request a tactile graphic from INSERT MAIL ADDRESS or a model from INSERT MAIL ADDRESS”)