Website accessibility is key to the effectiveness of the public sector. Digital services need to be user-friendly and efficient if outcomes are to be improved for people. BetterConnected+ measures accessibility and identifies areas for improvement across your website and apps. It is compliant with all contemporary regulation affecting the sector and reports are available monthly.
In partnership with
Our offer
Website accessibility testing
BetterConnected+ undertakes automated assessments of your website pages and measures the findings against accessibility and quality standards. Uniquely, it can prioritise actions meaning resources can be focused on improving the user experience for the highest number of visitors.
Face-to-face peer networking
BetterConnected+ is a gateway to the Socitm community. You’ll benefit from being part of the UK’s society for digital leaders in the public sector. Our programme of National and local events enable you to share experience and best practice with counterparts from across the UK.
Membership benefits
Socitm membership brings with it a host of benefits to support your professional and personal development while assisting you in consistently delivering the best possible digital services for citizens. From exceptional training opportunities to outstanding resources, Socitm offers more.
Webinar Wednesday access
We host a series of regular, topical and informative webinars taking a fresh look at the unique challenges affecting the public sector. These exclusive broadcasts are a not merely intended to pass on knowledge. They’re also devised to create conversation and stimulate productive debate.
How your website is tested
Socitm and Silktide have entered into a new partnership to provide you with a more comprehensive, detailed and user-friendly service, helping you comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 before the 22 September 2020 deadline.
Silktide analyses 125 web pages and 25 PDFs of primary websites, considerably more than previously. ‘Highest level’ pages are scrutinised first, giving a fairer representation of the most crucial website components. Websites are now also tested on a mobile device. This makes it possible to detect layout and accessibility issues that are a key requirement for WCAG 2.1.
Regulatory compliance
BetterConnected+ is fully compliant with the accessibility requirements of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and British and European statutes and regulations:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
Functional Accessibility Requirements (EN 301 549)
European Union (EU) Directive on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018
Useful links
Making online public services accessible:
https://accessibility.campaign.gov.uk/?utm_source=Blogs&utm_medium=GDS&utm_campaign=access_regs
Sample accessibility statement for a public sector website. It contains sample wording and guidance on what to include in your statement:
Sample accessible document policy, including example wording and guidance on what to cover:
Silktide is a web intelligence company headquartered in the UK with more than 1,000 customers globally. Founded in 2001, it makes software to help people understand and improve their websites. Its fresh, holistic and user-centric approach adds greater value to the process of identifying problems, managing tasks and measuring performance.