The LaTeX language and Physical Teaching for students with visual impairment

Abstract

When we think about of the Physics Teaching for students with visual impairments, mathematical language proves to be challenging because its two-dimensional syntax restricts it to a "sighted culture". With the development of screen readers, it became possible for the visually impaired people to access the computer. However, the conventional mathematical language offers certain barriers to the accessibility. Our goal was to investigate the possibilities and limitations to introduce the LaTeX language in the active context of reading and solving physics problems for students with visual impairment by a computer connected to a screen reader. Based on Vygotsky's theory, in which the language has a central role as the symbolic mediation process view point as the socio-psychological compensation mechanism for the visually impaired people, this research was structured on the basis on qualitative research, and data interpretation based on Bakhtin’s discourse analysis. When we introduce the LaTeX language in the context of reading and physics problem resolution to a high school student in a public school, the association between LaTeX and screen reader proved just not being accessible as understandable, as also has revealed great potential in reducing barriers of accessibility to physics texts via computer.

Keywords

• Linguagem LaTeX
• deficiência visual
• Ensino de Física
• computador
• ledores de tela