Shetland Islands Council’s website most improved for accessibility

Shetland Islands Council’s new website has been recognised as the most improved in the country for accessibility by SOCITM, the society for public sector IT. 

The previous website’s accessibility was rated as 29 per cent, but the new website, which was launched in autumn 2020, has been given a rating of 96 per cent.

 The council’s website ranking by Sitemorse, which assesses and compares government and public bodies’ websites, has also risen from 414^th to 86^th.

 Susan Msalila, executive manager ICT at Shetland Islands Council, said:  “It’s a priority for us to ensure council information is accessible to as many as it can be, at point of delivery, particularly as more and more people are using mobile devices to access content. 

“We are continually looking at how we can improve, but this award certainly shows we are on the right track with our new website.

 SOCITM director Dave Sanderson said: “Making sure all citizens can easily access information from their local authority is vital. 

“I’m therefore delighted to see Shetland Islands Council make such great progress over the last twelve months to be awarded with the most improved accessibility score.  

“They’ve put their users at the centre of their decision making and as a result can be confident they’re providing content in the best ways possible for the community they serve”.