The Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology is excited to share updates that enhance digital accessibility and improve the authoring experience in Pressbooks: the new Content Toolkit and expanded support for MathJax. 

The Pressbooks Content Toolkit brings together tools designed to help authors identify and address accessibility concerns in their learning materials. At the center of this toolkit is Accessibility Assist, powered by Editoria11y, which provides real-time guidance as you write and edit. This tool highlights issues such as missing alt text, heading structure errors, inaccessible tables, and other common barriers.

Alongside the Author Tool, the new Accessibility Assist Scanner Tool offers a full book review option. With one click, authors can generate an updated accessibility report for their entire text, making it easier to make changes and ensure improvements are consistently applied. The Toolkit also includes a Link Checker, which scans for broken or unreachable links and helps maintain accurate course materials. 

Introducing MathJax in Pressbooks

For instructors working in in math heavy disciplines, Pressbooks at the University of Iowa now supports MathJax, a highly accessible rendering engine for mathematical and scientific notation. MathJax provides clearer visual rendering, improves compatibility with screen readers, and allows students to access equations in multiple formats, including speech and magnified views. This makes it significantly easier to create accessible equations using LaTeX, MathML, or AsciiMath, addressing longstanding challenges with math accessibility in digital learning environments. 

OTLT will offer virtual LaTeX Accessibility with MathJax and Pressbooks trainings on Monday, March 9, at 8:30 a.m.; Tuesday, April 21, at 8:30 a.m.; and Wednesday, May 20, at noon. Register to attend a session.

Support for Upcoming ADA Title II Date

These updates come at an important time: all instructional Pressbooks must meet ADA Title II digital accessibility standards by April 24, 2026. The new Toolkit and MathJax integration are designed to simplify that process and support student-centered digital course materials. 

If you have questions, want help getting started, or would like a brief walkthrough of these features, OTLT is here to support you. We’re happy to assist as you work toward making sure your Pressbooks are accessible for every learner.