The following recommendations can help you provide accessible science instruction. Using accessible formulas and notation (rather than static images), clearly explaining symbols and steps, describing visual elements like diagrams and illustration, and ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies makes content usable for all learners.

Sciences rely heavily on diagrams (molecular structures in chemistry, circuit schematics in physics, cell diagrams in biology, etc.). For every such figure, provide descriptive alt text capturing the essential information. 

• For example, a chemistry diagram of a molecule should at least list the atoms and their connections (“Ball-and-stick model of water: an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogens, forming a bent shape”). If the instructional point is about geometry or bonding, mention that in the description. In biology, an image of a cell should have alt text like “Diagram of an animal cell with labeled organelles (nucleus, mitochondria, etc.)” and you can elaborate in accompanying text about each organelle’s role if that’s part of the lesson. 

• Complex processes (like metabolic pathways or physics free-body diagrams with multiple forces) may need a longer description outside the alt text – possibly a stepwise explanation of the process or a list of components. Benetech’s Diagram Center guidelines and resources on complex image description can help craft effective descriptions. 

Chemistry presents unique challenges since equations (reaction formulas) and the periodic table are visually dense. 

• To make chemical formulas accessible, write them in linear text when possible (e.g., “H2O” or “2 H₂ + O₂ → 2 H₂O” can be understood by screen readers if you use standard notation and include subscripts with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Canvas Equation). 

• In cases of complex formulas or organic structures, include a detailed description below the image with brief alt text and pointing to the description (“Glucose molecule, represented as a ring of 6 carbon atoms with OH and H side groups…”). 

• Consider providing an accessible periodic table – for instance, the American Chemical Society offers an accessible periodic table that a screen reader can navigate cell by cell, reading out element symbols, numbers and atomic weight. Linking to or providing such a resource is more accessible than a static image of the periodic table. 

When demonstrating experiments or scientific phenomena on video, ensure captions are available for any speech and consider the visual information being conveyed. 

• Often, science videos have critical visual-only content (color changes in a reaction, movement of an apparatus, etc.). Try to narrate those actions or results verbally in the recording itself so that a listener knows what is happening.

• In a chemistry demo, you might say, “Now I will pour the polyvinyl alcohol solution into the borax solution… it turns into a gel-like solid” – describing the action and outcome. This integrated description is ideal, but if that’s not in the original video, you can add an audio description track or write a supplementary description of what happens in each step.

• Tools like Camtasia or Canvas Studio at JMU allow adding a secondary audio track with captions; at minimum, provide a written step-by-step summary of demonstrated experiments for those who can’t see them.

• Best practices of Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions will help lead more accessible instructional content in media formats.

Whether it’s a physics lab graph of motion, a chemistry titration curve, or a biology chart of population growth, ensure data is accessible. Include data tables for graphs (so a student using a screen reader can navigate the numeric values) or at least summarize the trend/conclusion in text (“As time increases, the voltage drops exponentially to half within 5 seconds”). 

• If using color graphs, label lines directly (e.g., “red line: trial 1, blue line: trial 2”) or use distinct patterns so that those with color vision deficiencies or using black-and-white printouts can differentiate. Be mindful of Color Contrast and avoid Color Reliance.  

• Modern tools like Excel allow you to add alt text to charts and to ensure chart elements (axes titles, legends) are tagged for screen readers. Using best practice of accessible Excel practices, the charts in your instruction can be navigated and readable with a screen reader. Alternatively, Anthology Ally in Canvas can have auto-generated alternative, as a descriptive HTML version of common chart types, which you can refine. 

Many science courses use digital simulations (e.g. PhET interactive simulations for physics and chemistry, virtual labs for biology). When choosing these, look for those that have accessibility modes – for instance, PhET sims now have an accessibility filter (some include screen-reader support and alternative input). 

• If a simulation is not fully accessible, provide an alternative path: e.g., offer a video demonstration or a series of screenshots with descriptions so that students who can’t use the interactive can still follow the concept. 

• Provide keyboard instructions if an interactive requires input (like “press arrow keys to increase temperature”) and ensure those are documented for students who can’t use a mouse. 

• Link the content with permanent link from JMU Libraries to Canvas courses if they are available.  

Particularly in biology and chemistry, complex terminology can be a barrier for some students (especially those with dyslexia or other cognitive processing differences). Provide glossaries or define acronyms and symbols on first use. 

• Instead of assuming everyone knows “ATP”, write “ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the cell’s energy molecule)” at the first mention. This not only helps all learners understand but also assists text-to-speech users who may benefit from seeing the expanded form. Similarly, format chemical notation clearly in text (H2O using subscript tags or the equation editor so it reads as “H two O”). 

• Benetech Accessible Image Guidelines 
• LaTeX Accessibility Guide by Ohio State University
• Creating Accessible PDFs with LaTeX
• American Chemistry Society Accessible Style Guide