Overleaf project: pdfua2-mathml-se-alt (read-only)
This file tests SE + Alt text: MathML is written into the PDF tag tree as Structure Elements, and a plain-text alternative (Alt text) is also auto-generated on the formula tag. No Associated File is embedded.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
main.tex |
LaTeX source |
pdfua2-mathml-se-alt.pdf |
Compiled PDF output |
latexmkrc |
Overleaf compilation configuration (shared across all six projects) |
\DocumentMetadata configuration\DocumentMetadata{
lang=en,
tagging=on,
pdfstandard = {ua-2, A-4f},
tagging-setup={
math/setup = mathml-SE,
math/alt/use = true
}
}
Key choices:
pdfstandard = {ua-2, A-4f} — A-4f is technically redundant here since no Associated Files are embedded, but it is declared consistently across all six test files. Its presence is harmless. See the top-level README.math/setup = mathml-SE — MathML is written into the tag tree as Structure Elements. Requires LuaLaTeX.math/alt/use = true — Auto-generates a plain-text Alt attribute on the formula tag in addition to the SE MathML.lang=en — See the top-level README for the reasoning behind using en rather than en-US.| Screen reader + PDF viewer | Result |
|---|---|
| NVDA with Adobe Acrobat Pro | ❌ Alt text (static string; no interactivity) |
| JAWS with Adobe Acrobat Pro | ❌ Alt text (static string; no interactivity) |
| NVDA with Firefox | ✅ Configurable math speech/braille; interactive expression exploring |
| JAWS with Firefox | ✅ Configurable math speech/braille; interactive expression exploring |
| NVDA or JAWS with Chrome/Edge | ❌ Math is skipped over; not read aloud |
| VoiceOver macOS (all viewers) | ❌ Speaks as gibberish / math skipped |
See the full results table for complete detail and test dates.
Results are identical to AF+Alt for all tested environments. Adobe Acrobat Pro prioritizes the Alt attribute over the MathML Structure Elements, causing both NVDA and JAWS to read the static alt string in Acrobat. Firefox correctly ignores the Alt attribute and routes to MathML via MathCAT.
This result is notable because it shows that even with MathML embedded directly in the tag tree (SE), the presence of an Alt attribute is sufficient to suppress MathML access in Acrobat. The Alt attribute acts as a ceiling on math accessibility in that viewer regardless of what MathML is also present.