Reducing Visual & Textual Barriers

Mathematics is often thought of as a subject built primarily around numbers and symbols, but many mathematics tasks rely heavily on reading, language processing, visual organization, and attention to detail.

Students are frequently asked to navigate:

• dense word problems,

• crowded worksheets,

• unfamiliar vocabulary,

• multiple representations,

• lengthy written directions,

• and visually overwhelming pages of information.

When too many visual and textual demands are layered onto a task, students may spend more energy accessing the problem than engaging with the mathematics itself.

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A student may understand the mathematical ideas involved in a task while still struggling to:

• locate important information,

• decode dense text,

• organize steps,

• process symbols and words together,

• or determine where to begin.

In these situations, the barrier is not necessarily the mathematics. The barrier is how the mathematics is being presented.

This is especially important because visual and textual barriers are often interpreted as evidence that a student:

• is careless,

• is not paying attention,

• is weak in mathematics,

• or “just needs to try harder.”

In reality, the task itself may be placing unnecessary demands on reading, processing, and organization.

Word problems and written explanations can become cognitively overwhelming when students must simultaneously:

• decode language,

• identify relevant information,

• ignore unnecessary details,

• remember instructions,

• and solve the mathematics.

For some students, especially students with dyslexia, ADHD, language-processing differences, or executive functioning challenges, dense text can significantly increase cognitive load.

This can make mathematics feel exhausting even when students understand the concepts involved.

Reducing unnecessary complexity in formatting and wording can help students focus more energy on mathematical reasoning.

Visual design influences accessibility.

Crowded worksheets, inconsistent spacing, multiple fonts, excessive information, and cluttered pages can make it difficult for students to:

• focus attention,

• organize information,

• track steps,

• and identify what matters most.

Even small visual changes can significantly impact accessibility.

Students may benefit from:

• increased spacing,

• chunked information,

• clear headings,

• consistent formatting,

• visual separation between problems,

• and intentional use of white space.

These changes do not reduce rigor. They reduce unnecessary barriers.

Simplifying formatting is not the same as simplifying mathematics.

A mathematically rigorous task can still be:

• visually organized,

• clearly structured,

• and intentionally designed.

In fact, when unnecessary visual and textual barriers are removed, students often have more cognitive resources available for:

• reasoning,

• problem-solving,

• making connections,

• and explaining thinking.

Clearer design helps teachers more accurately see what students actually understand mathematically.

Mathematics classrooms often use multiple representations:

• equations,

• graphs,

• diagrams,

• tables,

• manipulatives,

• and verbal explanations.

These representations can strengthen understanding, but they can also become overwhelming if students are expected to automatically recognize how they connect.

Teachers can support accessibility by explicitly showing relationships between representations rather than assuming students will naturally make those connections on their own.

For example:

• showing how algebra tiles connect to symbolic manipulation,

• connecting graphs to equations visually,

• or explaining how a table relates to a proportional relationship.

The goal is not to reduce complexity, but to make mathematical relationships more visible.

Teachers can reduce visual and textual barriers through small but intentional design choices.

Some examples include:

• chunking multi-step tasks into sections,

• reducing unnecessary wording,

• emphasizing key information clearly,

• increasing spacing between problems,

• using consistent formatting,

• separating directions from problem text,

• reading directions aloud when appropriate,

• and providing visual models to support understanding.

Students may also benefit from opportunities to:

• annotate problems,

• highlight important information,

• rewrite tasks in their own words,

• or organize information visually before solving.

Strategies that reduce visual and textual barriers often help many learners, not only students with diagnosed disabilities.

Clear organization and thoughtful formatting can support:

• attention,

• comprehension,

• working memory,

• processing speed,

• and confidence.

Accessible design benefits classrooms as a whole because it allows more students to focus on mathematical thinking instead of navigating unnecessary obstacles.

Students should not have to spend all of their energy figuring out how to access a problem before they ever get the opportunity to think about the mathematics within it.