Back in 2020, I took an online pre-calculus/trigonometry course that used McGraw-Hill’s ALEKS adaptive learning for practice problems, homework, assignments, and quizzes. As a student with low vision that primarily access information visually with large print with a secondary preference for audio access with text-to-speech, I was interested in taking an online math class that provided assignments in digital formats that I could navigate with assistive technology, since I had previously struggled with in-person math classes that presented information on the board or that involved writing on paper-based assignments. To help other students with low vision searching for information about ALEKS accessibility for visual impairment or what to expect when using ALEKS with assistive technology, I have put together this post with strategies for using ALEKS with low vision from a student perspective and updated it in 2025 to share more practical information.
Before the first day of class: accessible textbook and access codes
A week or two before the first day of class, all students received an email with a copy of the syllabus and instructions on how to purchase an ALEKS access code. Access codes can be purchased as part of a bundle with a new physical copy or digital copy of the textbook, or as a standalone access code. The price of ALEKS varies depending on the type of math course and the duration of the class, and professors may provide a financial aid code for two weeks of free ALEKS access.
For my class, I purchased an ALEKS access code using the link provided by my instructor that included an eBook version of the textbook. The eBook can be accessed within ALEKS by selecting the eBook option in the Main Menu, which can be read within the web browser. While exact accessibility features may vary depending on the book used, the following reading tools were available for reading eBooks within the ALEKS system:
- Adjustable font slider for increasing the size of text. The largest font size is 38px, which is equivalent to approximately 28-pt font.
- Built-in read aloud tool for text-to-speech
- Color highlighting and annotation (helpful for color-coding)
- Option to open images in a new tab or window
- Alt text for images, which can be exposed for select images by selecting the text alternative icon in the corner of the image
- Reflowable text layout that resizes to the size of the screen
If the built-in eBook is not accessible for them, students have a few options for requesting the textbook in alternative formats. One option is to purchase the textbook from VitalSource, which enables the student to access the textbook outside of the ALEKS platform. Another option is to request an alternative format/accessible textbook through Disability Services, as they can get files directly from the publisher as a Word document, EPUB, or PDF for students with print disabilities. If Accessibility Mode is turned on, the eBook will be unavailable.
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Ten Questions To Ask When Buying Digital Textbooks
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- Reading Chegg eTextbooks With Low Vision
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
Additional tools for accessing ALEKS content
While ALEKS offers several built-in tools for interacting with content, students with low vision will want to consider using additional assistive technologies for accessing course material on the ALEKS platform. Potential tools to consider for students with low vision include:
- Accessible calculator application. Some professors will specify what calculators to use (or what calculators not to use) for assignments. I recommend having the calculator application displayed on a separate screen or device so that students don’t have to constantly switch between tabs.
- External keyboard and/or mouse for typing answers, as the on-screen keyboard is small and may have low contrast.
- Second screen or external screen for further enlarging visual content with pinch-to-zoom or magnification.
- Whiteboard or dry-erase board for working out problems with a marker or stylus, which can provide higher contrast than pencil on paper and is easier to erase than pens.
- Screen magnification program for enlarging content, as browser zoom may not provide sufficient magnification for practice problems.
ALEKS is a web-based application, and students do not need to download an app to use ALEKS on mobile devices, it can be entirely accessed within the web browser. I primarily used my desktop computer for completing assignments in ALEKS, with my iPad as a secondary device.
Related links
- How To Create An Accessible Formula Sheet
- Five Accessible Calculator Apps For Low Vision
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- How I Use Google Chromecast With Low Vision
- How I Use Microsoft Whiteboard With Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
What to expect when using ALEKS with low vision
Before students can complete any homework or other assignments in ALEKS, they will need to complete an initial Knowledge Check that will determine what problems they are assigned. Students cannot work ahead/skip problems or go back to a question after they have submitted an answer. In order to advance to the next section for homework, students will need to get multiple questions correct in a row. Questions are automatically graded once a student submits an answer, though some assignments allow for multiple attempts. Explanations for questions and concepts use a two-column layout for displaying text and graphics together.
Questions for Knowledge Checks, homework, quizzes, and other assignments are displayed in the same consistent format. One question is displayed at a time, and most questions have a single-column layout, though some questions have an on-screen keyboard or drawing tools appear in a second column. Students answer questions by typing free-response answers or graphing with built-in tools; command-line keyboard input is used for typing math content. If a question has multiple graphics or visualizations as answer choices, each option will be displayed one at a time on a slider, and students will move the slider to view the different answer choices one at a time.
Instead of selecting a point on the coordinate plane and hoping for the best, students can use the “plot a point” tool to select specific points to graph, which will automatically connect points once all components have been entered or provide students with visual landmarks for inserting lines, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. This is easier than trying to enlarge coordinate planes and manually inserting points.
Students cannot open embedded images for questions or explanations in a new tab but can view examples in the textbook or dictionary by selecting the eBook or Dictionary icons on the right side of the page when completing practice problems. These features are not available if Accessibility Mode is enabled by the instructor.
For students, the only accessibility feature that can be customized within ALEKS is the display colors, which can be configured by selecting the student name in the top-right corner, followed by Settings > Accessibility. The following color options can be applied across ALEKS content:
- No Color Contrast
- Increased Contrast
- Grayscale
- Inverted Color
- Inverted Grayscale
- Yellow on Black
- Color Blindness (three options with slider)
More information on ALEKS accessibility is provided below.
Related links
Accessing ALEKS with large print
Text content for ALEKS questions and explanations are displayed in 14px Verdana font, which is equivalent to approximately 10-pt font. Math content for ALEKS is displayed in 18px Times New Roman font, which is equivalent to approximately 13-pt font. The font size of questions cannot be increased with browser zoom without distorting the page layout at zoom levels over 200%, and there is no option to resize text or change fonts used within ALEKS.
Since ALEKS does not offer built-in support for large font sizes, I had to use a few different workarounds for enlarging content to a font size that I could read. Here is a list of strategies for increasing the font size in ALEKS for students with low vision:
- Screen magnification is essential for enlarging user interface elements, text, and images in ALEKS. This can be configured to follow the mouse cursor, which can be useful when navigating between different elements of a question or enlarging exponents or subscripts.
- While browser zoom shortcuts like Ctrl++ and Ctrl+- tend to distort the layout of the screen at sizes over 200%, pinch-to-zoom on mobile browsers can be used to enlarge on-screen content with fewer scaling issues. This is a great option for tablets, as students can also use folio cases to adjust the viewing angle— I found this especially useful for graphing problems as it was easier to use a stylus and touchscreen to graph answers than selecting them with a mouse.
- Hover Text is a feature available for iPad and Mac that enlarges text positioned underneath the cursor, applying a consistent font size, style, color, and background color. However, there may be issues with displaying questions that are not tagged for accessibility.
- Another option for increasing the font size of content in ALEKS is to change the screen resolution of the computer. This can be configured in Display settings for Windows/Mac, starting with 800 x 600.
- Content can be enlarged on a Smart TV or other larger screen by using screen mirroring tools such as Cast (Chromecast) or AirPlay.
Another thing to note is that instructors have to manually enable access to the eBook during open-book quizzes or assignments. Some students may find it easier to have the eBook open on another device or screen so that they can enlarge information more easily.
Related links
- Windows Magnifier and Low Vision
- Customize Microsoft Edge Accessibility For Low Vision
- How To Use Hover Text For iPad With Low Vision
- How To Use High Contrast in Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For Mac Computers
- How I Use Google Chromecast With Low Vision
ALEKS accessibility for screen readers: Accessibility Mode
For students with visual impairments that use a screen reader, the instructor will need to manually enable Accessibility Mode so that ALEKS can be accessed with a screen reader. This can be done within the ALEKS instructor dashboard by going to Class Administration > Class Roster and selecting the student name, followed by Student Administration > Account Summary > Account Settings > Accessibility. From there, the instructor will check a box that says the following:
This is a student with loss of vision and requires a screen reader.
Students with loss of vision may encounter some content that is not accessible.
- Non-accessible content, including content in ALEKS assignments, will be labeled with a “Sighted Assistance Needed” message
The following features will be disabled:
- Automatic Progress Knowledge Checks
- eBook
- Videos as Resources in Learning Mode
- Dictionary
- Worksheets
- Calendar
- Class Forum
- Message Center
- ALEKS Calculator
- Spanish Toggle
Students with loss of vision will need the following system requirements:
- Microsoft Windows 10, JAWS 2019+, Chrome 126+
When using ALEKS with a screen reader, it is critical that professors select screen-reader accessible questions when assigning questions, which have an accessibility stick figure icon in the question bank and include alt text for images. Students cannot enable alt text for questions or request accessible questions within their profiles. Questions are displayed with MathML and students can answer questions with their keyboard.
My instructor enabled this option after I had an eye infection and had to use JAWS to access assignments for a few days; they did not enable it for me until I asked because they assumed I didn’t need it. It was incredibly frustrating to get questions that required sighted assistance as I was working on assignments at home and didn’t always have someone around to help, so I had to get approval from the instructor to use a remote visual assistant to help me with these types of questions.
Related links
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- How To Write Alt Text For Educational Content
- How To Use Text-To-Speech With Low Vision
What to know about ALEKS accessibility for visual impairment
- This post assumes that a student has been approved for disability accommodations at their institution and that they have disclosed their accommodations to their professor— this is essential for getting access to alternative formats and testing accommodations. To learn more about this process, read How To Create A Disability Services File and How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- ALEKS does not offer options for increasing the font size of questions, students will need to use external tools like screen magnification to enlarge it themselves. Learn more about reading digital text in A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Instructors will need to select accessible questions for assignments, quizzes, and tests to ensure compatibility with assistive technology, and enable Accessibility Mode for students that use screen readers. Accessible questions contain alt text, and more information can be found in How To Write Alt Text For Educational Content
- Because it takes additional time to enlarge content and read information with low vision, extended time is an incredibly helpful accommodation to have, especially on quizzes or timed assignments— this can be configured in the instructor dashboard for individual students. I share more in Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- ALEKS is available with built-in eBooks, many of which use a responsive layout for customizing the display of text. To learn more about digital textbooks, read Ten Questions To Ask When Buying Digital Textbooks
- Professors typically indicate whether a class will use ALEKS or a similar program on the syllabus. My other math classes used different programs, which I share more about in MyLab Math Accessibility and Low Vision and How I Use WebAssign With Low Vision
Published June 16, 2020. Updated July 2025