Towards Recommendations for the Universal Design of Online Authentication Systems

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Accessibility Research
• Usability Engineering

Background:

• Authentication systems present significant challenges for older adults and individuals with various disabilities.
• Existing research and solutions are often fragmented, targeting specific user groups rather than offering integrated approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize empirical findings on authentication problems across diverse user groups, including those with visual, physical, and intellectual disabilities, dyslexia, and older adults.
• To propose an initial set of 15 recommendations for the universal design of authentication systems.

Main Methods:

• Integration of empirical research findings from studies involving multiple user groups with disabilities and older adults.
• Development of a consolidated set of recommendations for universal authentication system design.

Main Results:

• An initial set of 15 recommendations for universal authentication design was proposed.
• Recommendations cover general authentication, password authentication, CAPTCHAs, and biometric authentication.
• A significant portion of recommendations address issues common to multiple user groups (40% for at least two groups, over 25% for three groups).

Conclusions:

• The proposed recommendations offer a foundation for universally designed authentication systems.
• Further validation and refinement are necessary to fully integrate these recommendations into a universal design approach.
• Addressing the diverse needs of users is crucial for enhancing authentication accessibility.