Mathematics with a Physical Disability
I have bilateral tendinosis of my hands, which has required me to develop ways of writing, teaching, and doing mathematics without relying primarily on typing. In particular, I have used voice recognition technology to produce mathematical writing, including advanced mathematical notation.
Producing mathematics by voice is not the same as dictating ordinary prose. Mathematics requires symbols, nested expressions, subscripts, superscripts, Greek letters, equations, diagrams, and frequent revision. Even when the technology works well, the process can be slower and more cognitively demanding than typing by hand.
I have also used adaptive hardware, including a foot pedal, to reduce the amount of clicking and hand movement required while working at a computer. These tools have made it possible for me to continue studying, teaching, writing, and researching mathematics.
Voice Recognition and Mathematical Writing
For much of my graduate work, the mathematical voice-recognition system I used required several pieces of software working together. Speech recognition software converted my voice into text commands. Math-specific software interpreted those commands as mathematical symbols. A mathematical writing environment then displayed and organized the resulting notation.
Earlier versions of this workflow used Dragon, MathTalk, and Scientific Notebook. This system required extensive training. Users had to learn spoken commands for mathematical symbols, structural commands for expressions, and conventions such as the NATO phonetic alphabet to distinguish letters clearly.
The learning curve was steep, and the workflow was never as fast as ordinary typing. But it was powerful enough to help carry me through much of a doctoral program in mathematics. That experience shapes how I think about accessibility: accommodations are not conveniences. They can be the difference between participation and exclusion.
The Need for Sustainable Accessibility Tools
One difficulty with assistive technology is that disabled users often depend on tools whose long-term availability is uncertain. Some of the specialized software historically used for mathematical voice recognition is no longer commercially available. That creates serious problems for people who rely on those tools for education or professional work.
Because of this, I have explored more sustainable approaches. One promising direction is to use open-source tools such as LyX, together with Dragon voice commands that insert LaTeX code. LyX is useful because it provides a visual mathematical writing environment while still being closely connected to LaTeX.
My long-term goal is to develop a stable set of voice commands and scripts that can help users create mathematical notation through speech. Such a system would still require training, documentation, and practice, but it could provide a more durable path for people who cannot rely on hand-based typing.
Accessibility in Mathematics Education
Accessibility in mathematics is not only a technological issue. It is also a pedagogical issue. Mathematics is often taught in ways that assume students can easily copy notation, manipulate symbols quickly, process dense lectures in real time, and learn from a narrow range of explanations.
These assumptions can create barriers for students with disabilities, but they can also create barriers for many other students. Clear structure, multiple representations, accessible documents, flexible communication, and carefully designed examples can make mathematics more humane and more learnable.
In my own teaching, I try to make expectations explicit, provide organized notes and course materials, use examples that connect to student experience, and create multiple ways for students to engage with mathematical ideas. Accessibility is not a separate concern from good teaching; it is one of the ways good teaching becomes possible.
Accommodations and Academic Culture
Academic accommodations are sometimes treated as exceptions to the normal educational process. I think they are better understood as part of the normal work of education. Students and scholars differ in their bodies, backgrounds, resources, prior preparation, and ways of processing information.
A fair learning environment does not mean that everyone receives exactly the same form of support. It means that people are given reasonable ways to access the intellectual work being asked of them. In mathematics, that may involve accessible documents, assistive technology, flexible deadlines, alternative input methods, captioned media, readable notation, or additional time.
The aim is not to lower standards. The aim is to remove unnecessary barriers so that the standards being assessed are genuinely mathematical rather than accidental tests of typing speed, handwriting endurance, visual processing, or physical stamina.