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Re: Making A Better CAPTCHA For the Visually Impaired And Making Captions More Available To The Hearing Impaired

for

From: samir menon
Date: Apr 18, 2013 4:32AM

Part of my project's flexibility is that it can be multilingual: we can
actually use the same project and method, and simply use video sources from
another language. We can then ask/detect an incoming user's language, and
present them with the correct CAPTCHA.

In terms of the deafblind, that poses another challenge, because our only
options for giving them an effective puzzle are by using either Braille or
more generally, text. In other words, we would have to design a challenge
that can be read and answered in plaintext, which is very challenging.
Computers can use all kinds of resources to deduce almost any plaintext
challenge.

For the deafblind, I have a couple of ideas:

1. Some kind of puzzle using the fact that they have a Braille display
2. A plaintext puzzle of some sort (word rearrangement, comprehension
test...etc.)
3. Some kind of external verification that they are deafblind

Any advice on the deafblind, how they interact with computers, or ideas for
a puzzle for them would be great.

I think the underlying issue is that CAPTCHAs, as much as they aren't
accesible and annoying, are here to stay on the web for some time, and if
we can make the current one that's on the web more accesible, we should.
Not only that, but we can take the work that people filling out this
CAPTCHA put in, and use it to caption more videos online for the deaf.

Also, I'd like to mention, my aim in this is to prove that this system
works, and get the attention of Luis von Ahn (creator of reCAPTCHA) and his
team. To prove it works, with the help of the visually impaired and blind,
we can show how that my system is a secure, easier, and more accessible
alternative to the current audio CAPTCHA.

Thanks,
~Samir