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Benetech: A Different Kind of Tech Company
Global Literacy
Making reading accessible to everyone, such as those with
disabilities
Human Rights
Empowering human rights defenders to pursue truth and
justice
Benetech Labs
Exploring new technology and engaging communities for
social impact at scale
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DIAGRAM Center Community
“Most wonderful collaboration I have ever been a part of.”
– DIAGRAM Community Member
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Accessible Images: Challenges
• Lack subject-matter expertise
• Not familiar with accessibility & standards
• Individuals possess varying levels of expertise
Expertise
• Time to find references
• Time to get trained up on best practices
• Time & cost required to produce content
• Cost-benefit: limited impact when produced adhoc
Time & Cost
• Lack guidelines for a broad range of image types
• Minimal examples produced by experts
• Confusing standards that are constantly evolving
• Unsure how incorporate new technologies
User-Centric
Resources &
Guidelines
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General Image Guidelines
Category # Image Type
Style &
Language
1 Context is Key
2
Consider Your
Audience
3 Be Concise
4 Be Objective
5 General to Specific
6 Tone & Language
Formatting
& Layout
7 Insets
8 Page Layout
Accessible Images: Challenges:
Expertise
Lack subject-matter expertise
Not familiar with accessibility & standards
Individuals possess varying levels of expertise
Time and Cost
Time to find references
Time to get trained up on best practices
Time and cost required to produce content
Cost-benefit: limited user reach when produced adhoc
User-Centric Resources & Guidelines
Lack guidelines for a broad range of image types
Minimal examples produced by experts
Confusing standards that are constantly evolving
Unsure how to incorporate new technologies
Word and HTML version of DIAGRAM Image Description Guidelines available at: http://diagramcenter.org/table-of-contents-2.html#book
Decision Tree developed through DIAGRAM subcontract with Touch Graphics; available at: https://diagram.herokuapp.com/training/when_to_describe
Video demonstrating how the interactive series of questions that takes users through the decision of when a text-based or alternative mode is needed for an image/diagram.
General guidelines that apply when writing descriptions for any image/diagram
Table of General Style Guides:
Style & Language
Context is Key
Consider Your Audience
Be Concise
Be Objective
General to Specific
Tone & Language
Formatting & Layout
Insets
Page Layout
Example of a general guideline for Consider Your Audience
General Guidelines:
Know your target reader (e.g. age, culture, subject-matter expertise).
Use vocabulary and phrases appropriate for the reader.
Reference examples and details that the reader will understand (this includes objects and attributes used in the description).
Description: this is a photograph of the Louvre Museum in France at night. The entrance to the museum is a large pyramid made out of glass.
Image in Context:
This photograph of the Louvre is part of an introduction to a chapter in a history textbook for young children.
The description uses language and introduces shapes appropriate for a young child.
Additional, self-paced resource allowing users to practice writing image descriptions, developed in collaboration with NCAM (National Center for Accessible Media).
Expanded from 10 to 26 “Image Types”, expanding beyond STEM to include templates for images such as maps, photos, and art. Also applied categories for grouping ease.
The practice writing section also provides template-based description guides from Touch Graphics and MathTrax.
A solution that supports visual rendering across a range of platforms/browsers:
Browser 1: PNG by TeX on Firefox
Browser 2: MathML by browser on Firefox
Browser 3: MathML by browser on Chrome or IE
Sample equations pulled from Mozilla’s “MathML Torture Test”: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/MathML_Project/MathML_Torture_Test?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Mozilla_MathML_Project%2FMathML_Torture_Test
Sample math equation with Firefox from: http://www.maths-informatique-jeux.com/blog/frederic/?post/2015/05/06/MathML-Accessibility
Visual rendering of equation from MathJax website: https://www.mathjax.org/
MathML Cloud is available at https://mathmlcloud.org
Math Support Finder [BETA] is available at: http://msf.mathmlcloud.org/
Next step after the production of accessible math content is to help users discover what tools can be used to read math accessibly.
Search according to tools used by the end-users. In this example, two results are returned when searching for configurations using Word (desktop).