14 October 2024
Wiley and Alchemie have partnered to offer students who are blind or have low vision (BLV) unprecedented access to online chemistry visualization tools, marking a significant milestone in accessible STEM education. For the first time, BLV students can complete online chemistry course assignments independently, without needing outside assistance.
The collaboration integrates Alchemie’s digital interactive tools into Wiley’s “Knewton Alta Principles of General Chemistry” course, providing hands-on exploratory learning to help students better visualize complex scientific concepts. These tools, initially designed to enhance STEM learning, were previously inaccessible to BLV students. The new system offers a solution to this long-standing challenge in chemistry education, where the subject’s visual nature often leaves BLV students struggling to keep pace.
Alchemie CEO and Founder Julia Winter was inspired to create accessible digital tools after receiving feedback from a blind PhD chemist who expressed frustration with existing molecular visualization aids. Determined to address this gap, Winter and her team developed a system that includes features like a unique keyboard-only navigation system, compatibility with screen readers, and auto-generated alternative text descriptions, all aimed at empowering BLV students.
“For blind and low-vision students, this system is about being included; it’s about independence,” Winter explained.
Wiley announced the partnership with Alchemie in May, marking a step forward in the company’s commitment to universal accessibility. Wiley’s Knewton Alta platform follows stringent accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.
The success of this initiative offers new hope for expanding accessible education tools in other courses, further improving the learning experience for students with disabilities across various disciplines.