EPUB (Assistive Technologies): Checkpoint 14

Below you will find video tutorials for completing accessibility evaluations of eTextbooks in EPUB format using Assistive Technologies (AT).  Click here to view the EPUB AT Manual as a PDF

  1. Getting Started
  2. Checklist Instructions
  3. Software Requirements
  4. Checkpoint 1: Accessibility Documentation
  5. Checkpoint 2 and 3: Text Access and Text Adjustment
  6. Checkpoint 4 and 5: Reading Layout and Reading Order
  7. Checkpoints 6 and 7: Structural Markup Navigation (Text, Lists, eReader) and Tables
  8. Checkpoint 8: Hyperlinks
  9. Checkpoint 9: Color and Contrast
  10. Checkpoint 10 and 11: Language and Images
  11. Checkpoints 12 and 13: Multimedia (Text Track, Transcript, Assistive Player) and Flickering
  12. Checkpoint 14: STEM (Markup and Notation)
  13. Checkpoint 15: Interactive Elements

Checkpoint 14: STEM (Markup and Notation)

Transcripts

For the fourteenth checkpoint, check for STEM content which includes science, technology, engineering, and math. For each of the following STEM content, you will check for markup and notation markup. STEM content should be marked up in a manner that is compatible with NVDA. For notation markup, the resource should convey both the notation (presentation) and meaning (semantics) of the STEM content. For both markup and notation, you must complete the following steps. First, select a STEM content in the text. Second, Use NVDA to read the STEM content. Third, repeat the steps to check for 10 STEM content in each sub-section (figures, graphs, tables, and equations).  For the stem content, only evaluate 10 of each type and if there are not 10 then indicate how many were evaluated and the reason for which they pass or fail. For both markup and notation, you must evaluate the STEM content with NVDA. First, open up the book with Adobe Digital Editions. Next, locate a STEM content. Third, select the sentence right before the content. Fourth, use Numpad + to start reading at the current location. Last, check if the reader reads the content correctly. The image on the right are commands for NVDA that you may need.

Here is an example for STEM figures with a markup and markup notation. “Figure 11.2” is an example of the markup and the sentence after is the markup notation that properly describes the figure. Remember, the markup will tell you how to classify content. If it is marked as Figure, then it is a Figure. The STEM content should have a label, description or tag. In AT, you are checking to see that the STEM content has a markup present AND that it is read by the text to speech application (NVDA). If NVDA does not read the STEM content markup or markup notation, but your manual check reveals that there is a markup or markup notation, the STEM content fails but with a higher failing score. Make sure to explain that the failing score is higher because STEM markup or markup notation was present but not read by NVDA. If STEM is present, state in a ratio of how many out of 10 figures, graphs, equations, or tables pass for markup for each checkpoint. Also explain which pages the STEM content was found on and in parentheses if more than one STEM content is found on a page. All markups need to be read by NVDA and be stated next to all the STEM content. Mark n/a in the pass/fail column if no STEM figures, tables, graphs, and equations are found. Notation Markup is the second part for the STEM content. STEM content is marked up in a manner that is compatible with assistive technology. The resource conveys both the notation (presentation) and meaning (semantics) of the STEM content. Manually check that the following have a text description that conveys notation and meaning. If the image itself does not contain an Alt tag but the content/text around it does have a notation (presentation) and meaning (semantics) of the STEM content with good description then we may PASS it with a note included that states the image did not have an alt tag, but it had a notation and meaning was conveyed in the surrounding text. Here is an example of an equation that would fail for markup (because there is none present), but it could pass for notation mark up if it was read correctly by NVDA. If STEM is present, state in a ratio of how many out of 10 figures, graphs, equations, or tables pass for markup notation for each checkpoint. Also explain which pages the STEM content was found on and in parentheses if more than one STEM content is found on a page. All markup notations need to be read by NVDA and be stated next to all the STEM content. Mark n/a in the pass/fail column if no STEM figures, tables, graphs, and equations are found.