Understanding Authentication Method Use on Mobile Devices by People with Vision Impairment

Abstract

Passwords help people avoid unauthorized access to their personal devices but are not without challenges, like memorability and shoulder surfing attacks. Little is known about how people with vision impairment assure their digital security in mobile contexts. We conducted an online survey to understand their strategies to remember passwords, their perceptions of authentication methods and their self-assessed ability to keep their digital information safe. We collected answers from 325 people who are blind or have low vision from 12 countries and found: most use familiar names and numbers to create memorable passwords, the majority consider fingerprint to be the most secure and accessible user authentication method and PINs the least secure user authentication method. This paper presents our survey results and provides insights for designing better authentication methods for people with vision impairment.