CAPTCHA Accessibility Evaluation

Informed Consent for Research Participation

Purpose of the Study: The goal of this thesis research is to evaluate the accessibility, usability, and cognitive load of different CAPTCHA systems (security checks) for users of assistive technologies.

Important Disclaimer: These tasks are designed to test the CAPTCHA systems, not you. We are evaluating how well these systems accommodate different needs and setups, not your personal ability to solve them. If a task is difficult or impossible, it is a failure of the system, not the participant.

Data Collection

During this study, the following information will be collected:

An automatically generated, anonymous Participant ID.
Your Operating System and Browser type (for technical compatibility context).
Task completion times and error rates (collected passively during your interaction with the CAPTCHAs).
Your survey responses and any optional feedback you provide.

Data Privacy & Anonymity

No personally identifiable information (PII) such as your name, IP address, or email address will be collected. All data will be aggregated, securely stored, and used solely for the purpose of this academic thesis and subsequent research publications.

Participant Consent I have read and understood the information above, and I consent to participate in this study.

Participant Information

Please provide details about your assistive technology and input methods.

Auto-Collected Information

Participant ID: Generating...

Operating System: Detecting...

Browser: Detecting...

Primary Assistive Technology (Select all that apply) Screen Reader: NVDA Screen Reader: JAWS Screen Reader: Windows Narrator Screen Reader: VoiceOver Magnification High-Contrast/Dark Theme Other (Please specify) (Optional):

Primary Input Method used for this test (Select all that apply) Keyboard Mouse/Trackpad Touch/Other

Task 1: Google reCAPTCHA (Default)

Attempt the standard Google reCAPTCHA challenge below.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? (Could you interact with it at all?) Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility (Did you encounter keyboard traps or lose focus?) Pass Fail

Mental Demand: How much mental and perceptual activity was required? Low: I could solve these comfortably without much focus. Moderate: I had to concentrate, but I felt in control. High: I found these extremely taxing and required intense focus. Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort: How hard did you have to work to achieve your performance? Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration: How insecure, discouraged, or stressed did you feel? Low: The system worked as expected with my assistive technology. Moderate: I encountered some barriers but eventually moved past them. High: I felt significant stress or felt "locked out" by the system. Description (Optional):

If you could change one thing about how this security check interacts with your screen reader or magnifier, what would it be? (Optional)

Task 2: Google reCAPTCHA (Alternative / Audio)

Activate the CAPTCHA and explicitly select the audio challenge option (headphone icon) to complete this task.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility Pass Fail

Mental Demand Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Did you feel the alternative mode (audio) was genuinely easier to use than the visual one, or did it introduce its own set of challenges? (Optional)

Task 3: hCaptcha (Default)

Attempt the standard hCaptcha challenge below.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility Pass Fail

Mental Demand Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

If you could change one thing... (Optional)

Task 4: hCaptcha (Alternative / Accessibility Cookie)

For this task, hCaptcha provides an accessibility cookie that bypasses visual challenges. Please sign up for their accessibility access, or if you already have the cookie, interact with the widget below.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility Pass Fail

Mental Demand Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Did you feel the alternative mode (accessibility cookie) was genuinely easier? (Optional)

Task 5: Cloudflare Turnstile (Default)

Attempt the standard Cloudflare Turnstile verification below.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility Pass Fail

Mental Demand Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

If you could change one thing... (Optional)

Task 6: Cloudflare Turnstile (Alternative Experience)

Turnstile primarily relies on non-interactive browser checks. Attempt the challenge again and note if the experience feels different or easier when relying purely on automatic signals.

Time to Complete: Timing...

Errors/Retries: 0

Was the task accessible? Yes No

Keyboard Accessibility Pass Fail

Mental Demand Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Perceived Effort Low Medium High Description (Optional):

Frustration Low Moderate High Description (Optional):

Did you feel this approach was genuinely easier to use than visual challenges? (Optional)

Submission Successful!

Thank you so much for participating in this accessibility study.

Your time, effort, and feedback are incredibly appreciated and will directly contribute to making CAPTCHA systems more accessible for everyone.

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