Universal Design for Website Authentication: Views and Experiences of Senior Citizens

Jacques Ophoff, Karen V Renaud

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution book

Abstract

Using digital devices and online products and services requires users to regularly authenticate themselves. Given that the vast majority of websites use passwords to authenticate users, this study focuses on the accessibility and inclusivity of this mechanism, using Universal Design Principles as a lens. Collecting and analysing autobiographical narrative data from 50 respondents, we use a qualitative approach to explore the views and experiences of senior citizens across various phases of website authentication. Our analysis uncovers barriers and challenges, leading to several undesirable consequences, when authentication is not accessible and inclusive. Our findings also show how users, many of whom have cognitive and other age-related infirmities which are seldom accommodated in authentication design, try to cope with these issues. Our findings show how authentication may fail to align with the principles of universal design and highlight considerations in making authentication more accessible and inclusive for all users.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2023 38th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering Workshops (ASEW)
PublisherIEEE
ISBN (Electronic)979-8-3503-3032-8
ISBN (Print)979-8-3503-3033-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Nov 2023

Publication series

Name2023 38th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering Workshops (ASEW)
PublisherIEEE
ISSN (Print)2151-0830
ISSN (Electronic)2151-0849

Keywords

  • Authentication
  • passwords
  • accessibility
  • inclusivity
  • universal design principles

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