Science fiction writer, Boing-Boing contributor and general gadget-freak Cory Doctorow has set his sights on Citibank for their new method of signing in to their Internet banking service. The new system avoids the use of a physical keyboard, instead opting for a virtual keyboard (described by Cory as a ‘toy’) that floats above the page content, forcing the use of a mouse to activate the virtual keys. You all know where this is going - how can this possibly work for blind users? How can it work for people with motor problems (and by that I don’t mean the car won’t start)?
Finally, this thing can’t possibly be usable by blind people or people with physical disabilities that make fine mouse-movements difficult. The fact that you need to use their toy keyboard every time you complete a transaction makes this doubly/triply obnoxious.
Read Cory’s full post here and use the comments facility below to have your say. Are you a Citibank Customer? Can you use the sign on tool with whatever assistive tools you normally rely on?