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Accessible math content ensures that all students can fully engage with your course material. Yet mathematical notation remains one of the most common accessibility barriers in STEM courses. The good news is that practical, accessible content creation practices exist, and many of them work directly within tools instructors are likely already using.

Created in collaboration with Mathematics and Statistics faculty, especially Associate Professor Justin Webster; Michael Canale, Assistant Director, Student Disability Services; and DoIT’s Instructional Technology team, UMBC's Accessible Math resource outlines specific tools and workflows to help you create and share accessible mathematical content with Blackboard, Mathpix, Overleaf, and LaTeX. 

Blackboard: Create Accessible Math from the Start

If you are building new course materials and want to ensure accessibility from the beginning, Blackboard Ultra offers several built-in options for creating accessible math content. Add math content wherever you access the rich text editor in your course.

Mathpix: Accessible Handwritten and Printed Math

Not all math content starts as a digital file. Many instructors have handwritten notes, scanned problem sets, or older PDFs. When creating accessible content from scratch is not possible, Mathpix is an AI-powered tool that addresses exactly this challenge. 

Mathpix recognizes handwritten and printed mathematical expressions in images and converts them to LaTeX or MathML — making it particularly useful for digitizing handwritten notes, lecture materials, or older course documents.

LaTeX and Overleaf — Accessible Documents from Source

LaTeX is the standard typesetting system across many STEM disciplines. PDFs compiled from LaTeX may lack the structural tags (headings, reading order, alt text for figures) that assistive technologies rely on. Producing an accessible PDF from LaTeX requires intentional choices about LaTeX packages and compilation settings.

Overleaf is one cloud-based LaTeX editor widely used in STEM fields for creating research papers, problem sets, and course notes. With the right setup, documents authored in Overleaf can be output as tagged, accessible PDFs. If you’re not an Overleaf user, LaTeX can be updated in your LaTeX tool of choice by using available LaTeX resources.

Choosing the Right Approach

Not sure which tool or workflow fits your situation? Here is a quick reference from the Accessible Math support site:

• Create math content, including simple LaTeX, in Blackboard
• Convert handwritten notes to an accessible format
• Convert a PDF with math content to an accessible format
• Create accessible LaTeX content, including complex LaTeX

Get Started Today

Accessible math does not require rebuilding all of your course materials at once. Pick the scenario that matches where you are right now and take one step forward:

• If you use Blackboard: Open the Rich Text Editor in your next course document or assessment and use the Math Editor tool or rich text editor instead of inserting an equation as an image
• If you have handwritten notes: Request Mathpix access and try converting one set of notes to HTML
• If you work in LaTeX: Request Overleaf Premium access and review UMBC's accessible LaTeX template or begin reviewing LaTeX formatting guides for accessible PDFs

Full Resource: UMBC Accessible Math 

The tools, workflows, and video tutorials referenced in this article are available in one place:

Accessible Math — UMBC Faculty Resources

This site includes instructions, video walkthroughs (UMBC sign-in required), links to request access to Mathpix and Overleaf Premium, and additional guidance for each tool covered here. Bookmark it as your go-to reference for accessible math content creation.

Questions about accessibility at UMBC? Visit the UMBC Office of Accessibility and Disability Services website for additional resources and support.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

• Check our extensive FAQ collection 
  • What's new in Ultra? |Known Issues 
• Open a ticket via RT
• Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff
• UMBC Digital Accessibility| Ally FAQs | Ally Demo | Ally Report (VPN required)
• PIVOT | Academic Continuity |Keep On Teaching |Student Technology Resources

Beginning this month, UMBC will introduce Mathpix Snip as a new resource to support the creation of accessible STEM course materials. With 300 licenses available through Instructional Technology, this new tool represents a major step forward in making handwritten mathematical, scientific, and technical content more usable for every learner -- particularly those who rely on screen readers, text-to-speech tools, or alternative formats.

Why Mathpix?

Mathpix is a tool for extracting text, and particularly math, from images and documents. This text/LaTeX can then be pasted into a document editing tool such as a LaTeX or Markdown editor. Powered by advanced OCR and AI-driven parsing, Mathpix can:

• Convert handwritten equations, diagrams, and formulas into accessible MathML, LaTeX, HTML, and Mathpix Markdown.
• Transform images, screenshots, and PDFs into structured text that supports screen readers.
• Recognize tables, code, and complex expressions often found in STEM disciplines.
• Streamline remediation of legacy course materials, including scanned notes, worksheets, problem sets, proofs, and solution keys.

These features allow instructors to move from static, image-based materials to content that is both editable and accessible, reducing the time and technical expertise required to meet federal accessibility standards. While Mathpix is a powerful engine for character recognition, it is a tool for extraction, not for authoring or delivery, and it cannot describe images for accessibility.

For those who want to explore the capabilities further, Mathpix offers a snipping tool, browser extension, handwriting recognition engine, PDF and image conversion tools, markdown workflows, and accessibility-focused use cases. Mathpix is available as a desktop application for Mac, Windows and Linux; on mobile (iOS and Android); and as a web browser (Chrome extension).

Who Is Eligible?

Licenses are reserved for instructors who teach in disciplines where handwritten or non-digital content remains common, including:

• Mathematics and Statistics
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Computer Science
• Engineering

Faculty who regularly create handwritten materials or who need to convert existing handwritten materials for accessibility compliance will receive priority access to Mathpix. 

How to Request Access

To request one of UMBC's 300 Mathpix licenses, instructors should submit an RT ticket to Instructional Technology with the following information:

• Name and email
• Course ID and course name
• Anticipated number of students
• How many new handwritten files you typically create each semester
• How many existing handwritten files you need to remediate for accessibility

This information helps the Instructional Technology team allocate licenses equitably and determine where additional support should be directed.

Training and Support

Access begins in January, accompanied by future training opportunities hosted by Instructional Technology and a group of faculty Mathpix ambassadors. These sessions will provide demonstrations, best practices for creating accessible STEM materials, and hands-on time with Mathpix workflows, ranging from quick equation conversions to full-document remediation.

If you'd like help determining whether Mathpix is a good fit for your course materials, Instructional Technology is happy to consult. This initiative supports UMBC's broader commitment to digital accessibility and ensures that all students, especially those in STEM pathways, have equitable access to the content they need to succeed.

For more information about digital accessibility, please visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

• More Information about UMBC Adopts Mathpix Snip to Advance STEM Digital Accessibility