{"paper":{"title":"Systematically Evaluating Equivalent Purpose for Digital Maps","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","headline":"The Map Equivalent-Purpose Framework defines three items and fifteen criteria to determine if non-visual maps serve the same purpose as visual maps.","cross_cats":[],"primary_cat":"cs.HC","authors_text":"Brandon Biggs, Brett Oppegaard, Bruce N. Walker, David Sloan, James M. Coughlan, Nicholas A. Giudice","submitted_at":"2025-12-04T23:11:51Z","abstract_excerpt":"Digital geographic maps remain largely inaccessible to blind and low-vision individuals (BLVIs), despite global legislation adopting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). A critical gap exists in defining \"equivalent purpose\" for maps under WCAG Success Criterion 1.1.1, which requires that non-text content provide a text alternative that serves the \"equivalent purpose\". This paper proposes a systematic framework for evaluating map accessibility, called the Map Equivalent-Purpose Framework (MEP Framework), defining purpose through three items (Generalized, Spatial Information, and Sp"},"claims":{"count":4,"items":[{"kind":"strongest_claim","text":"The MEP Framework provides a replicable methodology for comprehensively assessing digital map accessibility, clarifying WCAG's 'equivalent purpose', and guiding compliant and usable map creation.","source":"verdict.strongest_claim","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C1","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"weakest_assumption","text":"That the three defined items (Generalized, Spatial Information, and Spatial Relationships) together with the 15 measurable criteria fully and accurately capture the equivalent purpose of visual maps for non-visual users without omissions or over-specifications.","source":"verdict.weakest_assumption","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C2","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"one_line_summary","text":"The MEP Framework uses three purpose categories and 15 criteria to evaluate map representations, finding that tables and turn-by-turn directions fall short while Audio Maps and similar methods succeed in conveying equivalent spatial information.","source":"verdict.one_line_summary","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C3","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"headline","text":"The Map Equivalent-Purpose Framework defines three items and fifteen criteria to determine if non-visual maps serve the same purpose as visual maps.","source":"verdict.pith_extraction.headline","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C4","attestation":"unclaimed"}],"snapshot_sha256":"cf45396b73e337f1e0bceedd78d53dbd9ef95af7c619c3746a94a6c83df20faf"},"source":{"id":"2512.05310","kind":"arxiv","version":3},"verdict":{"id":"f1769541-1546-400e-915a-3f3923baae0e","model_set":{"reader":"grok-4.3"},"created_at":"2026-05-17T00:48:07.627291Z","strongest_claim":"The MEP Framework provides a replicable methodology for comprehensively assessing digital map accessibility, clarifying WCAG's 'equivalent purpose', and guiding compliant and usable map creation.","one_line_summary":"The MEP Framework uses three purpose categories and 15 criteria to evaluate map representations, finding that tables and turn-by-turn directions fall short while Audio Maps and similar methods succeed in conveying equivalent spatial information.","pipeline_version":"pith-pipeline@v0.9.0","weakest_assumption":"That the three defined items (Generalized, Spatial Information, and Spatial Relationships) together with the 15 measurable criteria fully and accurately capture the equivalent purpose of visual maps for non-visual users without omissions or over-specifications.","pith_extraction_headline":"The Map Equivalent-Purpose Framework defines three items and fifteen criteria to determine if non-visual maps serve the same purpose as visual maps."},"references":{"count":4,"sample":[{"doi":"10.22224/gistbok/2021.3.4","year":2020,"title":"Arundel and W Li","work_id":"f909993f-8834-4903-b822-40e17666aee7","ref_index":1,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"10.1145/3590955","year":2020,"title":"Audio Description: Making Useful Maps for Blind and Visually Impaired People","work_id":"33e4df1c-574e-46f2-9fbf-dd50128bb4fb","ref_index":2,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"10.1080/13658810210149416","year":2024,"title":"Definition of the Map","work_id":"6d4f0770-1710-4388-b1ba-f5b8a92ae744","ref_index":3,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"10.22224/gistbok/2017.2.3","year":2018,"title":"Symbolization and the Visual Variables","work_id":"f25d5689-c915-43b5-be80-0ec4678c914c","ref_index":4,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false}],"resolved_work":4,"snapshot_sha256":"adeb795834fc2f4f217cd1327a2401ba5b37ae35d24e3b36f9d62a447d65a3a8","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}