Towson University granted patent for SoundsRight audio CAPTCHA system
Innovation offers the blind more equal access to internet
Towson, MD —This month, Towson University received a U.S. patent for its SoundsRight audio CAPTCHA system. A CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is a web-based security feature that limits the number of bots submitting web-based forms or requests for web-based services. CAPTCHAs most often appear as words and/or numbers that web users must type correctly in a response box to access certain areas of a website. CAPTCHAs are ubiquitous and impossible for visually impaired users to operate. In a 2007 focus group, blind users identified CAPTCHAs as the number one impediment to accessing the Internet, forcing them to rely on customer support or family and friends to gain admittance to a desired site.
That same year Towson began working on the project, focusing on a universal system that worked effectively for both sighted and visually impaired users. Three years later, the TU team decided to concentrate solely on developing a system for blind users. While audio CAPTCHAs do exist, multiple research studies show a less than 50 percent task success rate for blind users attempting existing audio CAPTCHAs. These audio CAPTCHAs are therefore technically accessible, but in reality, are unusable for blind users.
“We asked ourselves, how could we improve the web experience for blind users? Could we make something that is harder for sound recognition bots to identify, but easier for human users?” said Dr. Jonathan Lazar, project director and director of the Information Systems Program at TU.
Since 2007, a number of people in the Towson University community have been involved with this project in different phases: Dr. Heidi Feng from the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Tim Brooks from DECO, doctoral students Graig Sauer and Abiodun Olalere, and undergraduate student (now graduate student) Jon Holman
SoundsRight presents the user with a series of 10 sounds, some of which are labeled as validation sounds. SoundsRight asks the user to supply an input every time the validation sound is heard, in real time. The user must identify the validation sound within a certain time frame. SoundsRight addresses both security and usability. It is currently being tested by the National Federation of the Blind.
“Towson University is proud of the partnership that Dr. Lazar created more than a decade ago with the National Federation of the Blind, which has grown into a multi-faceted collaboration, involving multiple departments and colleges, and hosting the NFB’s summer youth programs on our campus,” said TU president, Dr. Maravene Loeschke. “We look forward to continuing to work together to improve education and technology for blind youth and adults.”
Since 1998, under U.S. Federal law, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act has mandated that that all federal agencies and other groups receiving federal funding make their electronic systems and information accessible to the disabled. Similar laws exist at the state level. For instance, the Maryland Information Technology Non-Visual Access Regulations require that all state government funded information technology is accessible for people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice, as well as court rulings, require accessibility for web sites of public accommodations, under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Effective access to the Web is crucial at both the work place and everyday life,” said Dr. Feng. “The SoundsRight CAPTCHA system is a great example of how researchers and practitioners can work together to improve the web experience for blind users.”
Contact: Gay Pinder, Director of Media Relations
410-704-4471
About Towson University (www.towson.edu)
Founded in 1866, Towson University is among the nation’s best regional public universities, offering more than 100 bachelors’, masters and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. With close to 23,000 students, Towson University is among the largest public universities in Maryland. Towson combines research-based learning with practical application and its many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Towson University one of the nation’s best and most efficiently run universities. An NCAA Division I school in athletics, Towson University is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association as well as the Colonial Academic Alliance.
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