The Challenge
Reigate & Banstead had already laid important groundwork: earlier accessibility audits had highlighted key issues that had been addressed, content editors were receiving training, and many high‑traffic PDFs had been remediated. But, with a large network of content editors and without someone in post full time to provide consistent oversight, the scale of the challenge remained significant.
When Vicky arrived, the Council still sat in the bottom three of Surrey’s accessibility rankings. Around 5,000 PDFs were on the site — many outdated, inaccessible, or unnecessary — and Silktide had only recently been introduced as the Council’s new accessibility tool. Although the CMS provider maintained that their platform was accessible, the Council needed clear, independent evidence to pinpoint issues and prioritise fixes.
Accessibility was already recognised as a priority. What the council needed next was sustained capacity, reliable data, and a way to turn good intentions into measurable progress.
The Solution
Additional capacity and oversight
Vicky’s arrival as a full‑time Web and Digital Officer meant the website and accessibility could receive the consistent attention it needed. However, with a network of more than 60 content editors, with varying skill levels, automating oversight with Silktide was also going to be a game changer. Inheriting both the role and the Silktide platform, Vicky quickly built a structured, repeatable workflow around it.
Daily triage, made simple
Her routine involved checking broken links, reviewing spelling errors, and working through WCAG flags. “What made the process effective was how clearly Silktide explained each issue. Silktide highlights a page that is failing, tells you why, and gives you an example of what needs changing. So, I visit the page in the CMS and amend the code.”
Vicky emphasises that she isn’t from a technical background — but Silktide’s clarity meant she could learn quickly and take action immediately.
Using evidence to drive supplier improvements
Silktide didn’t just highlight content issues, it also showed any template‑level accessibility failures within the CMS. Vicky compiled a detailed report using Silktide’s findings and shared it with the CMS provider. “It explains it so well to them. There are rarely challenges.”
The provider implemented a round of template fixes based directly on the evidence. The council’s accessibility score jumped significantly that month.
Transforming PDF governance
The council had already made many of the most recent and often downloaded PDFs accessible, but many still remained. Silktide’s data helped demonstrate how inaccessible some of these were, strengthening the case for enforcing the council’s PDF protocol:
- HTML pages became the preferred option
- PDFs were only allowed if essential — and only if accessible
- Inaccessible PDFs were removed or replaced
Through Vicky’s determination the number of PDFs published on the website dropped from 5,000 to around 1,100, with remaining inaccessible files predating 2018.
The Outcome
Reigate & Banstead has moved from the bottom tier to second place in Surrey’s accessibility rankings, with a score of around 97%. This improvement reflects both the Council’s early commitment to accessibility and the accelerated progress made once full‑time capacity and Silktide’s tooling were in place.
The changes are lasting:
- Template‑level issues have been fixed using Silktide as the evidence base
- PDF governance is embedded and enforced
- Accessibility is now part of everyday web management
- Issues are triaged, resolved, or escalated with clear documentation
“Silktide has definitely helped us get there.”