Dyslexia and Password Usage: Accessibility in Authentication Design

Abstract

Governments and businesses are moving online with alacrity, driven by potential cost savings, changing consumer and citizen expectations, and the momentum towards general digital provision. Services are legally required to be inclusive and accessible. Now consider that almost every online service, where people have to identify themselves, requires a password. Passwords seem to be accessible, until one considers specific disabilities, one of which can lead to many challenges: dyslexia being a case in point. Dyslexia is associated with word processing and retention difficulties, and passwords are essentially words, phrases or alphanumeric combinations. We report on a literature review conducted to identify extant research into the impact of dyslexia on password usage, as well as any ameliorations that have been proposed. We discovered a relatively neglected field. We conclude with recommendations for future research into the needs of a large population of dyslexics who seem to struggle with passwords, in a world where avoiding passwords has become almost impossible. The main contribution of this paper is to highlight the difficulties dyslexics face with passwords, and to suggest some avenues for future research in this area.

Cognitive function vs. accessible authentication

“…The need for a deeper understanding of the accessibility of authentication mechanisms has been acknowledged for specifc cognitive disabilities, such as Down syndrome [10], as well as cognitive impairments more generally [2,8]. Following a comprehensive review of the literature, we discovered a lack of knowledge on the experiences people with cognitive disabilities (in our case dyslexia) have with passwords, and what that might imply for cognitive function tests [13]. Therefore, we decided to explore this topic systematically using a qualitative feld research approach [24], one which entailed a semi-structured conversational and empathic approach [14].…”

“…In this paper, we examine accessible authentication from the perspective of those with dyslexia, drawing on their real-world experiences of routine authentication. Our previous work provides a comprehensive review of extant research into the impact of dyslexia on password usage, discovering a relative neglect of this feld [13]. Subsequently we explored the difculties people with dyslexia face, their general experiences with passwords, the coping strategies they use, and the advice they can provide to developers and others who struggle with passwords [14].…”

Accessible authentication: dyslexia and password strategies

“…Renaud et al [37] carried out a systematic literature review of the literature related to dyslexia and passwords. Within dyslexia research, they identified a number of themes, as shown in Figure 2.…”

“…Alternatives such as biometrics (Coventry et al, 2003) or alternative visual approaches (De Angeli et al, 2002;De Angeli et al, 2005) have also been proposed but these have not really gained traction in the industry, thus far. Renaud et al (2020) carried out a systematic literature review of the literature related to dyslexia and passwords. Within dyslexia research, they identified a number of themes, as shown in Figure 2.…”

Exploring the Acceptability of Graphical Passwords for People with Dyslexia

“…People with dyslexia (PwD) account for at least 10% of any given population [5] and exhibit traits that may negatively impact on their password management practices [6]. We know that individuals with dyslexia face concrete problems navigating the online world [7] with many online communications relying on text-based interactions.…”