MathML, MathJax and MathType

MathML, MathJax and MathType all have “Math” in the name, and all are associated with accessible equations. This article clarifies what each one does and how they actually work together to make your equations accessible.

MathML

MathML (Mathematical Markup Language) provides the structure that makes time-based navigation possible. It’s a standardized way to describe not just what symbols appear, but how they relate to each other.

So, just as HTML describes webpage structure (headings, paragraphs, lists), MathML describes equation structure (fractions, radicals, subscripts, matrices).

Navigating Equations in Time

With properly structured MathML, a student using assistive technology can:

Drill down into nested structures (enter the numerator, then enter the square root within it)
Move laterally across terms at the same level
Back out to hear the larger context
Repeat any section as needed

This transforms the experience from “a stream of symbols” to “an explorable structure”—closer to what sighted readers do spatially, but translated into the time domain.

MathML is a W3C standard, meaning it’s the official, agreed-upon way to represent math on the web.

Interacting with MathML

Here’s the quadratic formula as it renders on screen (Click your cursor in this text to Tab into focus the equation):

\[x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}\]

Ways of interacting with it:

Focus the Equation

Click in the text above to plant your cursor before the equation and press the Tab key. The equation should show a box around it.

Enable exploration mode

Press Shift + SPACE BAR to activate the explorer.

Navigate with arrow keys

Down arrow: drill into a sub-expression (enter the fraction, then the numerator)
Up arrow: back out to the parent expression
Left/Right arrows: move between sibling terms
Spacebar: hear the current selection spoken

Want to see the MathML? Right-click any equation and select Show Math As → MathML Code to view the underlying structure that makes navigation possible.

MathJax

MathJax is a JavaScript library that converts LaTeX notation into MathML. It runs in your students’ browsers automatically when a page loads.

Here’s the key distinction:

MathML can render natively in modern browsers—it doesn’t require MathJax
MathJax lets you write in LaTeX and handles the conversion to MathML behind the scenes

Most instructors prefer writing LaTeX (compact, familiar) rather than MathML (verbose, complex). MathJax bridges that gap.

How MathJax Works

When a student visits a page with equations:

Page loads

The HTML arrives containing your LaTeX expressions wrapped in delimiters like $...$ or $$...$$.

MathJax scans

The JavaScript library identifies mathematical content by those delimiters.

Conversion happens

MathJax converts your LaTeX into structured MathML.

Display and access

The equation renders visually and becomes navigable for screen readers.

Your LMS (D2L Brightspace, Blackboard, Moodle) likely has MathJax already built in.

MathType

MathType is an commercial equation editor the outputs MathML formatted equations. You’ll find it in a variety of places:

Brightspace

MathType is the default equation editor in the WYSIWYG editor.

Microsoft Applications

As a plugin in Word and PowerPoint

Google Workspace

MathType is also available as a plugin in Google Docs.

How They Work Together

  flowchart TB
  subgraph Workflow ["Your Workflow"]
    A["Write LaTeX with Delimiters"] --- B["Use MathType"]
  end

  subgraph Browser ["Student's Browser"]
    C["MathJax Processes"] --- D["Generates MathML"]
    D --- E["Visual Display"]
    D --- F["Screen Reader"]
  end

  Workflow --> Browser

  accTitle: LaTeX to MathJax Workflow
  accDescr: Flow diagram showing how instructors write LaTeX expressions with proper delimiters, which MathJax then processes in the student browser to generate MathML structure, enabling both visual display and screen reader access.

You write LaTeX; MathJax converts it to MathML; students get both a beautiful visual display and an accessible, navigable equation structure.

Math Graphs Panorama