Accessibility Evaluation Framework

A structured methodology for systematically assessing the accessibility of digital content, products, or services against established standards and guidelines. Effective frameworks define the criteria to be evaluated, the methods for evaluation (automated testing, manual inspection, user testing), the rating or labelling system for results, and guidance for remediation. The W3C's WCAG Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) is a widely used framework for web content. For PDF accessibility, emerging frameworks incorporate multiple tiers — automated checkers for structural verification, AI/LLM-based tools for semantic assessment, and human expert review for nuanced judgment. A well-designed framework acknowledges that no single evaluation approach can comprehensively assess all accessibility criteria, and that different methods have complementary strengths.