I forward this for your edification, and would add that many organizations
are using similar inaccessible techniques  for employees to log onto their
intranets..

Peter

 > Greetings:
 >
 > One of the issues discussed at the 2003 meeting of
the NFB in
Computer
 > Science was the growing use of verification schemes
that require you
to
 > enter a string of text that must match text
displayed graphically on
the
 > screen.  The theory behind such verification schemes
is that a human
is
 > smart enough to extract the text from the graphic
and enter it into
an
 > edit
 > box while software is not.  The unfortunate result
for the blind is
that
 > since our screen readers aren't smart enough to
extract the text
either,
 > we
 > are blocked from any service that is secured in this
way.
 >
 > We see implementations of this scheme in Yahoo!,
PayPal, and America
 > Online,
 > and while we might complain vociferously about the
barriers they
present
 > to
 > the blind, the fact is that in all of these
instances, two important
 > things
 > should be kept in mind.  First, the verification
scheme is used only
 > once--at the point where a person is signing up for
a particular
 > service.
 > Secondly, all of these companies have in place
procedures to deal
with
 > our
 > inability to use the verification scheme; and while
these procedures
are
 > less than satisfactory, at least an attempt was made
to deal with the
 > problem.
 >
 > Now consider Network Solutions
(www.networksolutions.com) and its
 > "WHOIS"
 > service.  The "WHOIS" service allows you to obtain
information about
 > domains
 > such as nfb.org, npr.org, microsoft.com, etc.  This
service is
supposed
 > to
 > be available freely to everyone.  But today, it is
not available to
the
 > blind.  Each and every time you inquire about a
specific domain using
 > the
 > "WHOIS" service, you are required to enter a string
of text that must
 > match
 > text contained in a graphic shown on the screen.
This is not a
one-time
 > inconvenience.  Oh no.  This is a real show stopper
for the blind!
 >
 > Now, I hear some of you saying "Who cares about
accessing information
 > about
 > domain names?"
 >
 > This is a very good question.  The fact is that what
Network
Solutions
 > is
 > doing is but the beginning of what could turn out to
be a very
serious
 > problem for us.  If security administrators get the
notion that this
 > graphical verification scheme actually works, they
are more than
likely
 > to
 > implement this for all sign in procedures, and what
that means is
that
 > we,
 > the blind, will not be able to sign in anywhere this
approach is
used.
 > Forget about putting alt-text on all graphics or any
other
accessibility
 > requirements for the Web.  If we can't sign in, it
doesn't really
matter
 > how
 > accessible a particular site may be.  If we can't
sign in, we can't
 > access
 > anything.
 >
 > On behalf of the NFB in Computer Science, I have
prepared and mailed
a
 > letter to the President and Chief Executive Officer
of Network
 > Solutions,
 > one W. G. (Champion) Mitchell.  I did this after
spending more than a
 > month
 > trying to find the right person at Network Solutions
to help us with
 > this
 > problem.  While I doubt that Mr. Mitchell will
personally read my
 > letter,
 > the fact that I have written it and will now
distribute it widely
 > throughout
 > the land is itself of significance.  Should you feel
so inclined, you
 > can
 > help by distributing this article and the
accompanying letter to
 > whomever
 > you deem appropriate.
 >
 > Here is the letter.
 >
 > --------------------
 >
 > August 10, 2003
 >
 > Mr. W. G. Champion Mitchell
 > President and CEO
 > Network Solutions, Inc.
 > 487 East Middlefield Road
 > Mountain View, California  94043
 >
 > Dear Mr. Mitchell:
 >
 > The purpose of this letter is to alert you to the
existence of a
problem
 > of accessibility for blind people who wish to use
the "WHOIS" service
 > provided by Network Solutions through its Web site,
www.networksolutions.com. I also
 > must inform you that my repeated efforts to make
contact with someone
at
 > Network Solutions who could discuss this problem
with me in a
meaningful
 > way have not been successful.
 >
 > The "WHOIS" service includes a security measure
which requires a user
to
 > enter a string of characters that must match a
string of characters
 > displayed in a picture of text on the screen.  The
theory is that
 > automated software is not smart enough to convert a
picture of text
into the character
 > string that must be entered and then verified by
your system.  While
this
 > approach may block access by automated tools, it
also prevents blind
people
 > from using the "WHOIS" service with screen access
technology.
 >
 > Screen access technology for the blind converts
information displayed
on the
 > computer screen into speech or Braille, thus making
it possible for a
blind
 > person to operate many of the same computer programs
as our sighted
 > colleagues, friends, and neighbors.  In order to do
this, it must be
 > able to read the ASCII text which is the basis of
that information.
Screen access
 > technology cannot extract any information from a
picture of text.
 >
 > The graphical text verification approach is not
unique to Network
 > Solutions. I am aware that PayPal, America Online,
and Yahoo! are
using this technique
 > to verify that a human being--not a smart computer
program--is
signing up
 > for a specific service.  However, the graphical text
verification has
to be
 > done only once--when the user is signing up for a
service--not each
and
 > every time a person wants to use the service.
Moreover, all three
 > companies have implemented solutions which, while
not completely
satisfactory,
 > attempt to address the nonvisual access problem.
PayPal asks the
user to play a
 > sound file which speaks the characters that must be
entered, Yahoo!
asks
 > for a telephone number so that the user can be
contacted by a
Customer
 > Service representative, and America Online provides
a toll-free
number which the
 > blind user can call to complete the transaction.
Network Solutions
 > stands out in our experience as the very first
company to force us to
use the
 > graphical text verification approach each and every
time we want to
use
 > a service--"WHOIS" in this case.  The harm that is
being done to the
blind
 > community by your implementation of this approach is
both insidious
and
 > pervasive!
 >
 > The irony is that before Network Solutions
implemented this security
 > measure, blind people had full access to all of the
services on your
 > site. There were those who said that the Network
Solutions Website
represented
 > a model of accessibility to the blind.  Today, this
is no longer
true.
 >
 > Since early July, I have tried repeatedly to bring
this problem to
the
 > attention of appropriate personnel at Network
Solutions.  I started
by
 > sending an e-mail to Network Solutions Customer
Service.  I was told
 > that my problem could not be resolved via e-mail,
and I was asked to
call your
 > toll-free number.  When I expressed some frustration
about this, I
was
 > finally given your name and mailing address--but
only after I
 > specifically asked for this information.
Subsequently, I contacted
your corporate
 > headquarters by telephone--simply to obtain your
title and the
correct
 > spelling of your name.  Believe it or not, I was
told that I could
not
 > be given this information.  However, I was assured
that the matter
would be
 > referred to your Executive Support organization.  On
July 14, a
 > gentleman identifying himself as Erik Bishop called
me and asked me
to send him
 > e-mail describing the problem.  I tried repeatedly
to send the e-mail
to the
 > address he gave me ([log in to unmask]),
but in every
 > instance, the message bounced.  Finally, on July 21,
after I informed
Mr. Bishop
 > by telephone voice mail that my e-mails were not
reaching him, he
gave me
 > (via voice mail) the e-mail address of his
supervisor, Michael
Donohue.  My
 > e-mails to Mr. Donohue did not bounce, and so I
assumed that he
received
 > my message.  Between July 21 and August 8, I tried a
number of times
to
 > reach Mr. Bishop by telephone.  A recorded message
was the only
response I
 > received.  Finally, On August 8, I received this
message from Michael
 > Donohue:
 >
 > Mr. Chong, Mr. Bishop is no longer with the company.
  Your issue has
been escalated
 > to our upper Management and they are reviewing your
concerns.  With a
 > change that you are requesting it may take several
months for
everything to be
 > reviewed and an approval can be made.
 >
 > The issue will be reviewed and thank you for your
patience.
 >
 >  Regards,
 >
 > Michael Donohue
 > Network Solutions
 >
 > This e-mail is noteworthy for its lack of detail and
its transparent
 > attempt to delay my efforts at a speedy resolution
to the problem.  I
do not
 > regard it as being at all responsive.
 >
 > We in the National Federation of the Blind in
Computer Science are
 > determined to work with the appropriate people who
can help us to
 > develop and implement a solution that will provide
full nonvisual
access to all
 > services offered by Network Solutions via the Web.
We are not
willing
 > to be thwarted by a security measure that makes no
allowance for full
 > inclusion. Must the blind engage in confrontation
and even
litigation?  I for one
 > hope not.  A solution can be developed which will
satisfy everyone
 > concerned--but only if we work together!
 >
 > Thank you kindly for your time and attention to this
matter.
 >
 > Yours sincerely,
 >
 > Curtis Chong, President
 > NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND in Computer Science
 >
 > -------------------
 >
 > As I say, the letter has gone out in the mail.  What
will happen next
is
 > anybody's guess.  I do know that I intend to
continue pressing on
this
 > issue until something happens.
 >
 > Yours sincerely,
 >
 > Curtis Chong, President
 > NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND in Computer Science
 >
 >
 >
 > Dr. Ronald E. Milliman
 > Professor of Marketing
 > Department of Economics & Marketing
 > Western Kentucky University
 > Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
 > Outstanding Teaching Award -- 2002/2003
 > ---



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