Transforming LaTeX Lecture Notes into Accessible Multimodal Web Pages for Inclusive STEM Learning

Abstract

Mathematical content is widely recognised as one of the most challenging forms of educational material to make accessible for students with visual impairments. University professors often write lecture notes, exercise sheets, and other STEM materials using LaTeX and distribute them as PDF files. Although effective for sighted readers, this workflow often fails to expose the syntactic and semantic structure of mathematical formulae required by assistive technologies, such as screen readers and refreshable Braille displays. This paper presents a web-based system that converts LaTeX course materials into accessible HTML5 pages. The conversion pipeline includes three main stages: source pre-processing, LaTeXML-based conversion, and post-processing of the generated HTML. The resulting pages use MathML and MathJax to provide a multimodal learning experience, enabling users to perceive, navigate, and interact with mathematical expressions through screen readers and Braille displays within the browser. The system was evaluated through a preliminary study involving six visually impaired users who regularly use assistive technologies. The results show a promising usability score and positive qualitative feedback, suggesting that the proposed approach can improve access to mathematical content and reduce barriers to participation in STEM education.