Automated Website Accessibility Assessment System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing websites often lack accessibility for users with disabilities, as manual compliance with web accessibility guidelines is cumbersome and costly, especially for existing web pages, and current solutions do not provide an efficient automated assessment and remediation process.

Innovation Solution

An automated system and method for assessing and remedying website accessibility, which includes a user interface for receiving website addresses and accessibility guidelines, a web crawler for extracting HTML elements, an application server for running accessibility scans, and a reporting module for generating reports, offering real-time status updates and suggesting remedial measures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual accessibility assessment and remediation is performed by skilled web designers, then assessment accuracy and guideline compliance are improved, but cost and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility assessment accuracyVSAvoidcost and time of compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables websites to self-assess their accessibility compliance automatically through the crawling and analysis of HTML elements, eliminating the need for external skilled designers to perform manual assessments while maintaining comprehensive guideline coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of skilled designers reviewing and assessing webpages with an automated computational system that uses web crawlers, HTML parsers, and rule engines to systematically evaluate accessibility compliance across entire websites

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If automated accessibility assessment tools are used, then cost and time are reduced, but assessment comprehensiveness and accuracy may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassessment efficiencyVSAvoidaccessibility assessment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments accessibility assessment into distinct modular components: web crawling for content extraction, HTML element identification and classification, rule-based compliance checking against WCAG guidelines, and automated remediation suggestion generation. This modular architecture enables comprehensive coverage while maintaining automation efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where assessment results are analyzed to generate specific remediation suggestions, and the process can be iterated to verify compliance improvements. The feedback loop ensures that automated assessments maintain high accuracy by continuously refining remediation recommendations based on guideline requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If comprehensive accessibility guidelines are applied to all existing web pages, then accessibility compliance is improved, but the complexity and effort required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility complianceVSAvoidcomplexity of compliance process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary automated assessment of entire websites before remediation, identifying all accessibility violations across multiple pages and guidelines. This preliminary analysis creates a comprehensive compliance map that guides subsequent remediation efforts, reducing overall process complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal automated assessment system that can evaluate websites against multiple accessibility guidelines (WCAG 1.0, 2.0, and country-specific standards) simultaneously, making the compliance process applicable to diverse websites without requiring separate manual assessment procedures for each guideline

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Speed

If real-time accessibility scanning is implemented, then user experience improvement is accelerated, but system resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescan execution speedVSAvoidsystem resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements incremental scanning that processes webpages in manageable chunks rather than attempting to scan entire websites simultaneously. The web crawler processes pages sequentially or in parallel batches, allowing real-time progress tracking while managing system resources efficiently through controlled concurrency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS8166135B2Method and system for assessing and remedying accessibility of websites

Publication Date: 2012.04.24 INFOSYS LTD

AI summary

A system and method for assessing and remedying accessibility of websites is provided. The method includes receiving a website address for assessment, an accessibility guideline and level of assessment to be performed from the user. The method further includes crawling the website for extracting information. The information comprises HTML tags used in designing a webpage. Thereafter, the website is scanned for checking conformance to one or more accessibility parameters. Finally, one or more assessment reports are provided to the user.