The Accessibility Metadata Format is higher-level than EARL.
However, individual entries can be mapped to EARL concepts as shown below.
| Accessibility Metadata Format | EARL Concept / Predicate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
evaluation.standard |
earl:test (with WCAG test definition) |
EARL needs a TestCase resource. |
evaluation.version |
part of TestCase definition | EARL does not store WCAG version directly. |
evaluation.issues[].criterion |
earl:test identifier |
Must point to WCAG SC URI. |
evaluation.issues[].reason |
earl:assertion → earl:result → info |
Stored as human-readable text. |
evaluation.issues[].level |
Not represented in EARL directly | WCAG levels are implicit in SC URIs. |
evaluation.issues[].alternatives[] |
Not covered by EARL | Requires extension vocabulary. |
evaluation.tests.environment.os |
custom metadata outside EARL | EARL does not define environment fields. |
evaluation.tests.environment.browser |
idem | |
evaluation.tests.environment.assistiveTech[] |
idem | |
evaluation.tests.runs[].type |
mapped to EARL Outcome (earl:passed, etc.) |
Additional logic needed. |
evaluation.tests.runs[].tool |
earl:assertedBy |
Tool as Agent. |
evaluation.tests.runs[].date |
dct:date or similar |
EARL recommends Dublin Core for metadata. |
evaluation.conformance |
No direct EARL equivalent | EARL does not define conformance summaries. |
project.* |
no equivalent | EARL does not describe projects. |
project.contact.* |
no equivalent | Must be external metadata. |
project.roadmap.* |
no equivalent | |
limitations[] |
partial mapping via EARL metadata extensions | Requires external vocabulary. |
- Fully mappable: individual test results → EARL assertions
- Partially mappable: issue descriptions (mapped to EARL notes)
- Not mappable: project metadata, conformance, roadmaps, limitations, contact info
This demonstrates that both technologies address different layers:
- EARL = low-level assertions
- Accessibility Metadata Format = high-level accessibility report & metadata