MathJax provides accessibility support for students with disabilities by enabling the rendering of math equations into a more accessible format and is compatible with various assistive technologies. Canvas is currently using MathJax version 2.7.7, which is outdated and lacks the core functionality necessary to continue supporting students with disabilities and to stay relevant with modern web technologies.
The latest stable version of MathJax is MathJax 3.2 which includes accessibility improvements that make equations more accessible to a wide range of students. MathJax 4.0 is in beta testing so Canvas’s version of MathJax will become two versions behind if it is not updated. Relying on an outdated version is counterproductive to instructors and creates barriers for students with disabilities.
Instructure should update MathJax to the latest stable version so that the Canvas learning management system can continue to be at the forefront of inclusion and accessibility.
The following are just some of the updates that are now available in the more recent versions of MathJax 3.x. These updates improve how equations are rendered and make math content more accessible to students.
- Nemeth Braille output
- Improved equation generation that can enhance readability
- Better support for equations with line breaks
- Additional languages supported by the Speech-Rule Engine (Hindi, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Korean)
- MathSpeak only: Danish & Catalan
- ClearSpeak & MathSpeak provides additional features for customizing spoken expressions
- The accessibility feature includes additional magnification, highlight, and semantic options
- Over 100 Bug fixes
- MathJax 4.0 Feature Changes
What is Instructure’s plan for updating MathJax?
Any details you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Take care,
Auston
