Socitm Insight is to produce a special supplement on website accessibility as Better connected, its annual report on local authority websites, due out in on March 3, reaches its 10th year.

Commentary on website accessibility has been a feature of the report ever since it was first published in 1998. However, growing awareness of the importance of the issue, as well as differences of opinion among accessibility experts about how accessibility is measured, and widespread confusion about how webmasters can best make their sites accessible, has prompted Socitm Insight to commit to publishing a separate supplement that will explore some of these issues. Socitm has invited the Public Sector Web Managers Group (PSWMG), formed last year, to participate in developing the content for the supplement.

In previous years, Better connected reports have carried lists of sites achieving Level A of WCAG1.0. Last year, the report commented that numbers achieving this standard have not increased over the last three years, despite the fact that it is five years since the Government stipulated that all government websites should achieve Level AA, and three years since local authorities in England were expected to achieve this as part of the Priority Service Outcomes initiative. Additionally, in October 2007, the Central Office of Information (COI) reminded every public sector organisation that failure to achieve Level AA by the end of 2008 might in extreme cases lead to withdrawal of the ‘gov.uk’ domain. 

‘Even Level A of this global standard is a difficult one to achieve and maintain for large complex websites of the sort that local authorities need to provide’ says Better connected author, Martin Greenwood. ‘Websites that fail Level A include those that have made no effort at all on accessibility (and may not even acknowledge it as an issue) and those that have made a very considerable effort. Controversy around the issue has tended to create more heat than light, which is dispiriting to web teams and an obstacle to getting senior management support for investment in accessibility. It may also have misled people about local authority performance in this area, which is generally better than the private sector and other parts of the public sector.’

The accessibility supplement will give Socitm Insight the opportunity publish much more about the results of its accessibility testing. Sites will be grouped according to the number and type of errors identified in testing them to the Level A standard. This will clearly differentiate those that fail marginally from those that are very inaccessible, and will allow a much fuller assessment of progress across all local authority sites on this issue.

The Public Sector Web Managers Group will be carrying out accessibility assessments on ten local authority websites to identify any major differences with the RNIB team that carries out accessibility testing for the Better connected report. Any issues arising from this exercise will be discussed in the supplement as part of a mission to explain differences between experts in this area. 

PSWMG will also be invited to comment on the full draft of the supplement which will provide a ranking of website performance on accessibility, based on the number and type of errors identified in testing them to the Level A standard. This will clearly differentiate those that fail marginally from those that are very inaccessible, and will allow a much fuller assessment of progress across all local authority sites on this issue.

Further information:

Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office          
Tel: 0845 094 5641 vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk

Martin Greenwood, Socitm Insight Programme Manager
Tel: 01926 498703 martin.greenwood@socitm.gov.uk

Notes for Editors

Better connected 2007 showed that two local authority websites passed WCAG Level AA and another 62 passed Level A. The total of 64 passing Level A compares with 62 that passed Level A in 2006 and 62 that did so in 2005.

In 2007, Socitm Insight produced a video on website accessibility called A World Denied – web accessibility the movie. Produced by Socitm in association with Abilitynet, the charity that helps people with disabilities make use of computers and the internet, the 12 minute DVD is aimed at senior managers and sets out the business case for investing time an resources in making an organisation’s website accessible. The DVD trailer is available at www.socitm.gov.uk.

In 2005 Socitm was part of a consortium that undertook the first European-wide survey of the accessibility of public services – eAccessibility of Public Sector Services in the European Union  is referenced on the first page of the COI consultation paper.