Re: Mathematics as Images

Unless I'm missing something, there's nothing in 1.4.10 Reflow that says 
that it *doesn't* apply to formulae. I'll note though that the way 
1.4.10 is specified, it wouldn't violate 1.4.10 in general if content 
simply rescales/gets super tiny, as long as it doesn't get cut off or 
causes bidirectional scrolling. That's unfortunately the way that 1.4.10 
was specified.

If the formula simply gets smaller and smaller to fit horizontally into 
the viewport, then that would normally be a failure of 1.4.4 Resize 
Text, except that "images of text" are exempt from this criterion.

So then we land on what was, if I recall, the original question: if a 
formula is presented as an image, does it fail 1.4.5 Images of Text. 
Because if it *does*, then it should be turned into actual text, which 
then in turn must be resizable under 1.4.4 Resize Text.

However, because support for complex mathematical formulae in browsers 
has historically been bad to non-existent (with only recent advances in 
MathML support), the argument that a complex formula must not be 
presented as an image is currently quite weak - at least in my view.

P

On 20/07/2023 22:13, Wayne Dick wrote:
> Many people did not consider my issue with mathematics as images. This 
> image is a "reflowable" book on Projective Geometry from Springer-Verlag 
> sold on Vital Source. All the text enlarges and reflows, but the 
> mathematical notation  is  not enlarged.
> That is the kind of sloppy presentation of mathematics. It is very hard 
> to read this because you cannot treat it like PDF that you must have to 
> zoom, and you  cannot treat  it like reflowable  text because every 
> formula must be zoomed.
> Vital Source is a web based service. This format is misleading and very 
> difficult to use. It should violate SC 1.4.10. As far as understanding 
> that mathematics is language not images, Springer-Verlag and Vital 
> Source should know  better.
> How can a young person with low vision become a scientist?
> Best, Wayne

-- 
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

Received on Thursday, 20 July 2023 22:07:08 UTC