CAPTCHAs, for those who don't know, are those squiggly letters you have to type in to prove you're a human and not a spammer. They're often used in signup processes on websites, and when you're trying to comment on blogs. Often the response to people who can't manage a CAPTCHA, including some people with learning disabilities as well as those with visual impairments, is that they should just get a friend to help them.
I was cleaning out my web bookmarks on accessibility a while ago and came across this gem from Nickie of Nickie's Nook, in a post from a couple of years ago called Accessible social media: It's not just for fun anymore, on the topic of how it feels to be a visually impaired user confronted with a visual CAPTCHA:
It's kind of like saying "People can come here in wheelchairs, as long as they have friends to carry them up the stairs."
I've interviewed Nickie on this blog, she's no slouch when it comes to technology. But she also has a very busy life, and she doesn't need to hit roadblocks like CAPTCHAs when she's trying to get things done online.
I've just checked to make sure that the tip Fight Comment Spam Without Locking Out Your Readers is updated (I hope!). So if you haven't seen it before, head on over and check it out.
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