The ALEKS platform, along with the content included within, is our most accessible product line and platform in mathematics. ALEKS supports the access needs of many users with disabilities. Many students who have limited or low vision can use screen magnification software to fully access ALEKS. Because ALEKS content does not rely on audio, ALEKS is accessible to those with hearing impairments. When Accessibility Mode is enabled, certain areas of ALEKS are accessible to students who require the use of a screen reader, as well as to students who have difficulties using a mouse.
The McGraw Hill ALEKS team recently completed the process of reprogramming Higher Education ALEKS math courses (from Java to JavaScript) and programming math expressions in Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) to make them more compatible with screen reader technology. To ensure that our accessibility efforts were as successful as possible, we worked with Interactive Accessibility and the National Center for Accessible Media to align our design in accordance with W3C and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. Our JavaScript programming strategy incorporates WAI-ARIA to allow dynamic content and advanced user-interface controls developed in JavaScript to interact more readily with screen readers.
Given the limitations of current screen reader technology, many colleges and universities have determined that some offline accommodations may be required to teach visually complex material. Certain topic items where the platform cannot offer an accessible online experience have been tagged to alert the user that assistance may be required to complete those problems.
We recognize that educational institutions must provide accommodations or modifications that would permit students with disabilities to receive all the educational benefits provided by the ALEKS technology in an equally effective and equally integrated manner. We are committed to broadening the accessibility of ALEKS and evaluating various accessibility technologies to improve the ALEKS experience for all students in Math and Chemistry courses.
ALEKS COURSES WITH ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES
The ALEKS courses specified below have an Accessibility Mode in which a majority of the content and interface is accessible to students using screen reader technology. ALEKS’ accessible experience for students depends on faculty selecting the appropriate accessibility settings. The Accessibility Mode in these ALEKS courses can be made available at both the class level and the individual-student level, to meet the specific needs of each implementation.
The content available in Accessibility Mode for the following courses has been rewritten and coded to conform to screen reading technology and WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Accessible courses have been tested in and formally support the following system requirements: Microsoft Windows 10, JAWS 2019 or JAWS 2020, and Firefox 63+.
AVAILABLE ALEKS COURSES WITH ACCESSIBILITY MODE
- Basic Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Algebra and Introductory Algebra
- Beginning Algebra
- Intermediate Algebra
- Beginning and Intermediate Algebra Combined
- Developmental Math
- Math Literacy
- Corequisite Support for Liberal Arts Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
- Liberal Arts Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Liberal Arts Math/Quantitative Reasoning with Corequisite Support
- Florida Math 0018, 0022, 0028
- NCCCS Developmental Math Modules 010-080
- Corequisite Support for College Algebra
- College Algebra with Corequisite Support
- College Algebra
- College Algebra with Modeling and Applications
- College Algebra integrated with ASU/EDX
- College Algebra with Trigonometry
- Trigonometry
- PreCalculus
- Intermediate Algebra and PreCalculus
- STEM PreCalculus
- Pre-Statistics
- Corequisite Support for Introduction to Statistics
- Introduction to Statistics
- Introduction to Statistics with Corequisite Support
- Prep for Beginning Algebra*
- Prep for Intermediate Algebra*
- Prep for College Algebra*
- Prep for College Algebra with Trigonometry
- Prep for PreCalculus*
- Prep for Calculus*
- Prep for Calculus with Limits
- Prep for Statistics
- Prep for Math and Dosage
- Math Prep for Statics
- Math Prep for College Physics
- Higher Education Math Placement (ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning)
*indicates availability as ALEKS PPL Prep and Learning Module
ALEKS PPL
ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL) offers twelve months of access to a Prep & Learning Module which contains accessibility features common to other accessible ALEKS courses. However, the Accessibility Mode for ALEKS PPL is available only at the cohort level, and it cannot be turned on for individual students. If a school wishes to offer ALEKS PPL to blind or visually impaired students, we recommend they create a separate cohort for those students and make the Accessibility Mode available to that entire cohort.
