I have tried over a two-day period to register on a website, LITERALLY 20-25 attempts each time, and I have never once been able to get the captcha right. And they don’t have an audio option!!! Some people NEED that. I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. (runs around screaming)
I feel a little better now. 
Anyway… the point is, why don’t websites with the evil that is captcha CONSISTENTLY have an audio option? WHY IS THIS??? Isn’t it NOT ADA compliant to NOT have this option???
I agree. And when you’re trying to log into a rarely used account with a password you are not sure about and it starts asking you an extremely difficult captcha, then you’re really screwed.
Re: ADA, who says it’s based in the US?
Also, a good CAPTCHA (maybe not this one) should have a refresh button.
Is this CAPTCHA (guess one word) or reCAPTCHA (two words, sometimes one is a picture or something). The latter, you only have to get one word right, usually one that is easier or in English and not gibberish. Although if you fudge the other, you are ruining the digitization of books, you bad person you.
control-z, I hate when websites have very tough password requirements, so you must write it down or something because they lock you out. And these aren’t bank websites or similar, just things like insurance where a hacker could do minimal damage (pay my bills for me?).
Yes, the ADA was passed in the U.S. in 1990. How it works in other countries… I really don’t know. But I DO know that federal and state sites are definitely not in compliance if they don’t have an audio option. There have been conflicting rulings when it comes to business sites, but they are not exempt. I would never put up a captcha that doesn’t have an audio option. Actually, I would never put one up at all.
WOW I thought I was the only one who went ballistic about this! I could be way wrong, but isn’t that to prevent bots and other spaminators from gaining access? So how are the sites that simply say “Enter the total of four plus two” out of line? I have had the same experience of trying to decode near-alphabet symbols and failing, again and again. Their attempt to thwart bogus log-ins are preventing legitimate log-ins!
The kinds of web sites that use CAPTCHAs without audio, would very likely close if they were forced by law to make them accessible.
But it’s not an “if”. Most already are required. No court seems to have been able to agree (yet) on* exactly* which websites really do have to include accessibility, but some rulings seem to imply that a site which conducts any business activity (and this could even include simply accepting ads) is likely to be liable most of the time. There are many, many people being kept out of these sites through no fault of their own. They do not have the opportunity to participate, and it’s because of their disabilities. This is not okay. That’s the whole point of the ADA.
If they’re not doing it, then clearly they are not being forced.
Why not report them to the authorities?
I think that’s a very good idea. Actually, I sent them (well, this site) an email saying that if they didn’t do something about it, I WOULD report them.
Right, but is this a US federal or state government site? And does the DNS or otherwise say that they are based here? Many might be elsewhere even if they cater to a US audience. I am not sure any laws are enforceable otherwise?
While you ask for audio, tell them to get non-crappy software as well.
It isn’t a government site, BUT… there have definitely been some precedents for at least some businesses needing to be compliant, just as they are required to be with other provisions of the law. (For instance-- Just because a place is a private business, it is certainly not exempt from the requirement to not discriminate against people with disabilities in hiring and firing.) This particular site is U.S. based, but that’s a fascinating question. What about those that aren’t? Are there laws on the topic anywhere else?
Better software WOULD be good, but I don’t think it comes under the ADA. 