UC Riverside is committed to providing an inclusive digital environment. When creating course materials involving complex equations, formulas, and notations, choosing the right tool is essential for ensuring content is screen-reader accessible.

Below is a comparison of common tools used to create and convert accessible mathematical content.

Math Kit is a specialized tool designed primarily for users working within the Google ecosystem to create mathematical notation.

Cost/Pricing: 

Free

Pros:

• Includes built-in modules that teach users how to effectively utilize the tool.
• Features intuitive steps and keyboard shortcuts to streamline the design process.

Cons:

• Platform restricted: Can only be utilized on Google Slides.
• The symbol library is currently very limited, offering only the most basic functions and symbols.

MathPix is a powerful OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool that specializes in converting images of math into digital, accessible formats like LaTeX and MathML.

Cost/Pricing:

• Low pricing;
• Offers a free trial (includes 20 "snips" and 20 PDF page conversions).

Pros:

• Advanced OCR: Can convert handwritten notes or "scribbles" from the app into MathML and LaTeX with a simple screenshot.
• Versatility: Can convert and OCR images into PDF versions or transform typing into LaTeX code.
• Ease of Use: Covers a wide range of functions and symbols.

Cons:

• Accuracy Issues: OCR can become inaccurate when presented with too much information or dense pages.
• Manual Effort: It often exports an image rather than live text, meaning Alt-Text is still required for full compliance.

Overleaf AI is an assistive tool used in conjunction with the Overleaf LaTeX editor to streamline the creation of technical documents.

Cost/Pricing: 

Competitive pricing based on a credit system; roughly 10 credits are required per conversion task. Some basic tools remain free.

Pros: 

• High Readability: The results of LaTeX conversions are high quality and easily read by screen readers such as NVDA.
• Professional Standard: Utilized and recognized by major organizations.
• Extensive Toolkit: Offers a wide range of tools for complex document conversion.

Cons: 

• Dependency: Requires the use of Overleaf (a separate free online text editor) to function.
• Formatting Errors: Can struggle with the positioning of non-mathematical objects, such as names and images, from the original PDF.
• Usage Limits: Pricing structures provide limited credits per month.