Back in 2018, I took a business calculus class that used Pearson’s MyMathLab adaptive learning platform (now called MyLab Math) for homework, assignments, quizzes, and tests. As a student with low vision that primarily accesses information visually with large print and screen magnification with a secondary preference for audio access, I was interested in taking a math class that provided almost all of the course content in a digital format, since I often struggled to read paper-based assignments or view information presented at a distance. Since I couldn’t find much information about MyMathLab accessibility/MyLab Math accessibility for low vision when I was a student, I have put together this post on strategies for using MyLab Math with low vision from a student perspective and updated it in 2025 to share more practical information on MyLab Math accessibility.
Before the first day of class: accessible textbook and access codes
About two weeks before the first day of class, all students received an email with a copy of the syllabus, information about the textbook, and instructions on how to purchase a MyLab Math 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 MyLab Math varies depending on the type of math course and the duration of the class, though some professors offer a two-week free trial code or financial aid code at the beginning of the semester so students can familiarize themselves with the technology.
Since I can’t read standard print, I would have to use a digital copy of the textbook that supported text resizing. With the access code provided by my professor, there were two options for the digital textbook:
- Fixed layout textbook (accessed via “Open my eTextbook”) that mimicked the physical copy
- Reflowable layout textbook (accessed via “Open the mobile & accessible eTextbook”) that supported options for font resizing, read aloud, changing the background color, and opening images in a new tab.
To accommodate my access needs, I used the accessible eTextbook so that I could enlarge the font without having to engage in horizontal scrolling to read— this is something I dislike about fixed layouts. Another option is to purchase the textbook from VitalSource, which enables students to read textbooks in a separate application. Students can also request an alternative accessible copy of their textbook through Disability Services so that they can access the textbook with their own preferred reading tools; it’s worth noting that many newer Pearson books are not available on Bookshare because Pearson is a Benetech approved publisher.
Related links
- 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 MyLab Math content
Depending on the course, students that are enrolled in MyLab Math classes will likely need to access additional apps and/or technologies in order to complete course assignments. 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 would typically have the calculator application open on another screen or device so that I didn’t have to look at multiple windows on one screen. When taking exams, I used a calculator app on my iPad with Guided Access turned on to prevent me from accessing other content.
- External keyboard and/or mouse for typing answers, as the on-screen keyboard can be challenging to enlarge.
- External monitor for enlarging information on the screen, if relevant. Another option is to change display scaling or reduce resolution of a computer screen to make content larger or easier to see.
- Whiteboard or dry-erase board for working out problems with a marker or stylus, which is easier to erase than pen and can provide more contrast than a pencil and paper.
- Screen magnification program for enlarging content, as browser zoom may not provide sufficient magnification for practice problems.
MyLab Math is accessed as a web browser application, and students do not need to download an app to access MyLab Math content. I primarily used my desktop computer to access MyLab Math content, with my iPad as a secondary option.
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 MyLab Math with low vision
The interfaces for practice problems, homework, assignments, quizzes, and tests are all similar in terms of how information is displayed on the screen and how to select answers. There are several different question types, including multiple-choice, free response, drop-down selection, graphing, and multi-part answers. Some questions incorporate embedded interactive content from GeoGebra or other sources.
If students are approved for disability accommodations such as extended time, the professor will need to enable these in MyLab Math. Professors will also need to verify that the questions that are assigned are labeled as accessible and have an accompanying ear icon in the question selection section, as these are designed for use with assistive technology.
Each question is displayed one at a time on the screen, and the screen is split into two columns with a question list on the left and the current question on the right. While the question list is helpful for navigating between questions, I personally collapse it so that I can focus on the question.
Each question is split into two horizontal sections that can be adjusted by dragging the ellipses icon in the center of the screen up or down. The font size of questions cannot be increased with browser zoom without distorting the page layout, and there is no option to resize text in MyLab Math. The font size for MyLab Math questions is 13px Arial font, which is equivalent to approximately 10-pt font.
Images can be opened in a new window or tab by selecting the zoom/pop-out option next to an image. This option is also available for interactive graph tools, which are otherwise displayed on the right side of the screen.
Instead of using the on-screen keyboard to input answers, students can turn on Accessibility Mode when viewing questions by selecting Settings > Accessibility > On, which will hide the on-screen keyboard and enable command-line language. A list of command-line information is linked below.
Related links
- Using the command-line language with JAWS
- Adapting Coordinate Planes: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Adapting Digital Equations: Math Problems and Low Vision
Accessing MyLab Math with large print
Since MyLab Math 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 MyLab Math for students with low vision:
- Screen magnification is essential for enlarging user interface elements, text, and images in MyLab Math. This can be configured to follow the mouse cursor, which can be useful when navigating between different elements of a question.
- Students can use the Web Inspector tool in their computer’s web browser to increase the font size of content, though they will need to enable this manually for each question. This can be done by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+I in a web browser, using the Select Element tool to select text, and changing the font-size property with the keyboard, e.g. 24px. Press the enter key to confirm the change.
- While browser zoom shortcuts like Ctrl++ and Ctrl+- tend to distort the layout of the screen, 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.
- 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 do not have accessibility enabled.
- Another option for increasing the font size of content in MyLab Math is to change the screen resolution of the computer. This can be configured in Display settings for Windows/Mac, starting with 800 x 600.
- For images, the option to zoom or pop-out images into a new tab or window is helpful for magnification. If using a tablet like an iPad, another option is to save images to the device gallery and use pinch-to-zoom in another application.
Because there are no display customization options in MyLab Math, students will need to use built-in tools for their device or third-party applications to access content. Other visual accessibility settings to consider include:
- Invert colors
- High contrast themes
- Displaying content on a Smart TV with Cast (Chromecast) or AirPlay
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 Invert Colors 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
Accessing MyLab Math with a screen reader
When it comes to accessing MyLab Math with a screen reader, it is critical that professors select screen-reader accessible questions when assigning questions in MyLab Math, which have an ear-shaped 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. Students will also need to turn Accessibility Mode on for their assignments in order to access content with a keyboard and write answers with the command-line language.
In full transparency, I didn’t use a screen reader very often with MyLab Math as I prefer to access information visually, though I did use a few different text-to-speech tools that were built into my web browser and device settings to read text I selected with my cursor or used in combination with screen magnification. These worked as expected, though I still had trouble with plotting points on the interactive coordinate plane.
Related links
Taking exams with MyLab Math and assistive technology
My professor used MyLab Math for exams, and students would take proctored exams either in-class or at the Disability Services testing center. Professors can enable accommodations for individual students such as extended time or the use of alternative proctoring if needed— I would take exams in the testing center using a university-provided computer with screen magnification enabled and use my personal iPad with Guided Access to use a pre-approved calculator app.
One of my friends that also has low vision shared that their professor had them take an alternative exam outside of MyLab Math when they took the same class the next semester. They were provided an exam in Microsoft Word, and they could either type the answers with an equation editor or use an app like Notability to write on top of the exam. Their exam wasn’t easier or harder than the other students, it was just an offline copy in another format.
Related links
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- How To Create An Accessible Formula Sheet
- How To Use Guided Access For Testing And Exams
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
What to know about MyLab Math accessibility for students with low vision
- 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
- MyLab Math does not offer options for increasing the font size of questions, students will need to use external tools like screen magnification or the built-in web inspector tool to enlarge it themselves. Learn more about reading digital text in A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Professors will need to select accessible questions for assignments, quizzes, and tests to ensure compatibility with assistive technology. These can be used with screen readers and contain alt text, which I share more about 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 exams. I share more in Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- Students have several options for accessing textbooks in digital formats, including fixed layout and responsive layout texts. To learn more about digital textbooks, read Ten Questions To Ask When Buying Digital Textbooks
- Professors typically indicate whether a class will use MyLab Math or a similar program on the syllabus. My other math classes used different programs, which I share more about in ALEKS Accessibility For Visual Impairment and How I Use WebAssign With Low Vision
Published December 20, 2018. Updated July 2025