Observatory Architecture
The European Internet Accessibility Observatory consist of:- A web crawler exploring and identifying available resources on each web site. The crawler is based on the Open Source Web Crawler HarvestMan.
- A URL repository storing web site information such as a list of pages available.
- A sampler randomly selecting pages from the URL repository to be evaluated by the web accessibility metrics.
- A set of web accessibility metrics (WAMs) reporting accessibility problems according to the Unified Web Evaluation Methodology (UWEM).
- A Data Warehouse providing on-line access to the collected data via an online reporting tool).
The figure below shows how the main components interact in the automatic monitoring process of the Observatory.
The EIAO project has established the technical basis for a European Internet project has established the technical basis for a European Internet Accessibility Observatory for large-scale assessment of websites accessibility. Frequently updated assessed data can be published online through an online reporting tool to support benchmarking, policymaking, research and improvement actions.
Project funding
The European Internet Accessibility Observatory is a European project funded by the EU-Commission under the 6th Framework Programme's strategic objective e-inclusion.
The project is co-funded by the European Commission DG Information Society and Media, under the contract IST-004526.
Possible effects of EIAO
Evaluation results from the Observatory can:
- Support policy-making including anti discrimination laws, and targeted actions to improve web accessibility.
- Deliver benchmarking lists to raise awareness and to speed up identification and take up of good practice.
- Facilitate the discussion on standards and eInclusion.
