Recommendations for STEM users
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These subjects often use things like math equations, chemical formulas, graphs, diagrams, and computer code. For students with reading disabilities, these can be difficult to access and understand.
Introduction
In spring 2025, the Nordic agencies carried out a review of technology used in STEM. We looked at the current situation and possible solutions ,see the full report. The recommendations in this guide are based on what we found.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is mainly for students and professionals in STEM fields who have reading disabilities. It is also written for:
- teachers
- librarians
- university staff
- anyone supporting students or colleagues with reading disabilities
The main focus is on blindness and low vision, but we also hope it will be useful for people with dyslexia and other disabilities.
We also believe the guide can help those who create learning materials, such as publishers.
Important notes
The solutions in this guide are not final answers. Many need more testing before we can recommend them with confidence. Think of them as suggestions to try. Each user needs to decide what is accessible enough for their own situation.
Some areas, such as Large Language Models (AI), have not yet been studied. These are listed in the Wishlist section, and we hope to include them in the future.
STEM accessibility is developing quickly. A tool or method that works today may be outdated in a few months. For this reason, we sometimes note the date of testing, and the software version used.
Share your experience
Do you have knowledge or experiences we don’t?
Do you disagree with our assessment?
Have you tried a solution from our Wishlist, or do you know of something else that could be useful?
Please contact us at info@mtm.se and write “STEM user guide” in the subject line. We will be glad to update this guide with your input.
Glossary
Here is an explanation of some words we use in this guide.
- EPUB – A format for digital publications and documents. It is a W3C standard. Read mot about the latest EPUB standard
- Latex– A system for writing and publishing documents, especially for mathematics. Common in STEM. Read more about the Latex project at latex-project.org
- Mathcat– A tool that works with screen readers to make math accessible in speech and braille Read more about Mathcat
- Mathjax – Software that displays mathematics on the web. It can convert LaTeX or MathML into different formats.
- Mathml– A markup language for writing mathematical notation on the web. It is a W3C standard, similar to HTML for text. Read more about Mathml a w3.org
- Multiline tactile display – A device with raised pins that can show tactile graphics or multi-line braille.
- Reading system – Software for reading e-books.
- Screen reader – Assistive technology that turns text into speech or braille.
- Sonification – Using sounds to represent information, for example turning data from a graph into tones.
- STEM – Science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
- TTS – Text-To-Speech; technology that converts written text into spoken words.
- User – A person with a reading disability who uses MTM’s services.
Reading math
MathML currently offers the greatest potential for making mathematics accessible. Our recommendations focus on reading documents in HTML or EPUB format that use MathML.
Reading systems
Desktop
Desktop apps are recommended for use. Reading systems that are best for visually rendering mathematics written with MathML are systems using MathJax. Especially these reading systems:
Web readers
Web readers do not always support MathML markup in the same way as the browser. This means that using a web reader doesn’t guarantee a browser’s level of support for visual rendering of mathematics written in MathML.
Mobile
The mobile reading systems have the worst support for visually rendering mathematics. None of the tested mobile apps can be recommended.
Browsers
Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome (Chromium-based) and Mozilla Firefox (Gecko-based) support visually rendering MathML – with minor differences in spacing between MathML elements.
Major difference: Chromium-based browsers don’t support the “crossing out” notation in MathML.
Screen readers
The choice of screen reader is limited by the OS of the device being used. For an iOS device, it may not make sense to look into other options than VoiceOver, for example. But when it comes to STEM content trying out different devices with different OS and different screen readers to see what available solution gives the best results.
Content that uses MathJax to render the mathematical notation may provide better reading experiences for some screen readers, but it is not guaranteed.
- NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver all have support for MathML in Windows and iOS/MacOS.
- For braille users, Windows is the most reliable OS option.
- For languages other than English, VoiceOver might still be an option, although not for braille output.
- For non-English braille output MathCAT seems to be the only viable option at the moment, but it may require translating it first, if the desired language option is not yet available.
- MathCAT also has options for braille output in LaTeX and ASCIIMath, which are commonly used notations.
- If full screen reader functionality isn’t needed, a TTS software such as ReadSpeaker can be used. It relies on MathJax being used to render the maths. It works in English, but there may be other language options.
Version details
Reading system tests were made in spring 2025, using Thorium Reader 3.0, Calibre E-book Reader 7.22 and Colibrio Reader 1542.
Screen reader tests were made in spring 2025, using the latest available versions of JAWS, NVDA, MathCAT, TalkBack and VoiceOver.
Writing math for Braille Users
Blind and visually impaired (BVI) students face persistent barriers when accessing and producing mathematics. While many find creative ways to adapt, gaps in tools and institutional practices still make participation unnecessarily difficult.
Current Practices and Barriers
Students often use Word with WordMat, LaTeX via Overleaf, Maple, or plain-text math. These can be made to work with screen readers and braille displays. Desmos is a good example of innovation, letting students explore graphs through sound.
However, many platforms such as, MatematikFessor, TI-Nspire, and others, remain largely inaccessible.
Math is often rendered as images or tied to drag-and-drop interfaces that cannot be used without sight. Another recurring barrier is the reliance on human assistants for transcription. This helps students manage exams and assignments, but limits independence and introduces grading issues. Teachers’ lack of knowledge about accessible workflows makes this problem worse.
Promising Tools
- Maple: Scriptable and text-based, far more accessible than TI-Nspire.
- LaTeX/Overleaf: Standardized, academic, and collaboration-friendly.
- Desmos: Strong model for auditory math access.
- Braille displays and calculators: Reliable when math is exposed as text.
Emerging tools such as MathCAT, EquatIO, and Microsoft Math Solver could be useful, but their accessibility is still inconsistent.
Recommendations
- Let students choose which tools
thatactually work for them.
- Train teachers in screen reader workflows and accessible assessment design.
- Push platform developers to support MathML, ARIA
,and semantic math.
- Adapt exams so visual-only tasks have an alternative path.
- Keep an eye on emerging tools
,but test them properly before rollout.
Conclusion
There is no single solution. What works is a mix of text-based tools, audio-enhanced options, and targeted human support. The real priorities are straightforward: stop forcing inaccessible software, build teacher competence, and hold platform providers accountable. With those changes, BVI students can participate in math education on equal footing.
Programs for Writing Math
- Word with Wordmat – Version Office 2021, Wordmat version 1.35.4
- Geogebra – Version 6.0.898 (Geogebra Classic, as of Aug 26, 2025)
- Matematikfessor – June 2025
- Onenote – Part of Office 2024; builds include Windows Version 2508 (Build 19101.10000+) and Mac Build 16.100 (25080335+) as of August 2025
- TI‑Nspire CAS (handheld + software) – Firmware for TI‑Nspire CX II/CX II CAS is version 6.2.0.333; App (iOS) version 6.2.2 (as of Apr 3, 2025)
- Maple – Latest maintenance release: Maple 2024.2
- Wolframalpha – Web platform (no fixed version)
- Link: Wolframalpha online
- Symbolab – Web platform (no fixed version)
- Link: Symbolab online
- Excel – Office 2021
- Link: Office 2021
- LaTeX (via Overleaf) – Web-based, no fixed version available
- Snapchat (Scan/Photomath integration)
- ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini – AI tools, evolving, no fixed version
- LaTeX (general) – Not versioned in this context
- ASCII math / plain-text math – no fixed version
- EquatIO – Version 65.0.1 (Chrome extension as of Aug 4, 2025)
Calculators and graph applications
- Desmos is a good graphing tool to use if you are blind or visually impaired. In the program you can use “audio trace” to listen to the overall shape of a graph. You can also use the arrows, and tab or “shift + tab” to move between points of interest. Both the app and the online program should be used in English.
- GeoGebra graphing tool and CAS calculator have a lot of different functions. You can draw graphs of functions, simplify expressions and solve equations among other things. GeoGebra is a useful tool if you can use the mouse to navigate. However, it is difficult to use with the keyboard and a screen reader.
- SenseMath is an app for iPhone designed to be used together with VoiceOver. In the app you can both see and hear the shape of a graph. It is a tool to use when you want to get a quick overview of a graph.
- Microsoft Excel is usable with a screen reader and keyboard, but it requires practice to be familiar with all the different shortcuts.
Tactile images
Multiline tactile displays
Multiline tactile displays is a new and rapidly developing technology. Several models are available for use, and we expect them to be even more useful in the near future.
In the Nordic countries, they are not currently considered aids and are therefore not subsidised by the state. The cost thus falls on the student or the school at present.
Features and pricing varies between devices. We recommend looking into which one fits the user’s needs and budget. Listed and linked below are the multiline tactile displays we are aware of. We have yet to test our products and services on them and make detailed comparisons. However, an overview of their features can be found in our tech review [link to report].
Tactile image resources
- ProBlind is a free and open-source database for tactile graphics.
Learning platforms
- An accessible learning platform does not automatically make all of its contents, and the material uploaded to it, accessible.
- The accessibility of learning platforms may also be affected by their compatibility with standard assistive technologies such as screen readers and conversion tools, technologies which sometimes require additional resources (charge/fee, digital network etc.) that add to the factors affecting the accessibility of learning platforms.
- The use of a learning platform may be limited by the user’s knowledge of the technology and consequently affect the accessibility. Therefore, both teachers and students who are responsible for the use of a certain learning platform require sufficient knowledge and experience of all the technologies involved to make a platform and its content fully accessible.
Wishlist
This page is a work in progress. Here is our list of things we hope to address in the future. Do you have suggestions for more things we should study? Or do you have experience of anything on the list? Please contact us at info@mtm.se and write “STEM user guide” in the subject line.
- Large Language Models such as ChatGPT are sometimes used by students for reading math aloud and for mathematical reasoning. We have not assessed the accuracy of these and advice keeping in mind that they are not always correct.
- Isabelle Proof Assistant: A program that helps users construct mathematical proofs.
- Astronify is a Python package for sonification of astronomical data.
- Authoring accessible math: in our tech review [link] we concluded that the EPUB format in combination with MathML markup holds the greatest potential for math accessibility. We are currently developing our production of adapted course literature in this direction, and will update this page with a guide when our solution has been user-tested.