WCAG 2.1 at a Glance

The WCAG 2.1 misses an entire area of disability. Many people are 
severely impacted by limited memory skills. It can be a challenge for 
them to memorize passwords, instructions, the meaning of icons, and 
more. The stupidity of the bold dots in place of a password or other 
input that is considered a security concern actually makes security worse.

The brain can memorize in various ways. The most powerful memory system 
is visual. Auditory memory is second. Tactile and olfactory memory are 
further down the list.

When a person has to type a password that they never see because of 
those obnoxious bold dots, they never get a chance to memorize a visual 
image of the password. They do not hear the password so auditory memory 
is not a factor. A few may memorize the tactile and muscle memory input 
of touch typing. For those of us who use Hunt and Peck typing or add 
special characters that are not a part of touch typing, tactile memory 
is of no value.

So, what do the vast majority of us do when we struggle to memorize a 
password because we never see our password as we type it ?  
................................ Drum roll please.

WE WRITE IT DOWN WHERE WE CAN FIND IT. How is that for password security?

Kind of defeats the purpose for the big bold dots that only protect in 
the rare cases that somebody is looking over our shoulder trying to see 
out password. They can just as easily watch where we look for the list 
of all of our passwords.

BTW, I have a memory disability. If I try to type a password from memory 
using one of my protocols and I do not type it quickly but instead 
pause, I will easily forget what characters I have typed. I will need to 
start over. I have centralized lists of my passwords. If somebody found 
one, they would find them all. I use a password software in some cases 
but I still need to write down the master password and have a backup 
password file.

These memory problems many have means they also struggle with all of the 
upgrades that require memorizing new functions. This is a serious 
challenge because now, the brain has multiple options for a task. I find 
this to be infuriating on banking web sites and such as they 'upgrade' 
for better usability. Yeah right.

WCAG 2.1 tries to address over-stimulation but is a bit weak. A simple 
concept is this. Just because a web page can be made to wow everybody 
does not mean it should wow everyone. For many of us, that wow is severe 
over-stimulation. Excessive movements can be as bad as seizure 
triggering content.

I have considered trying to establish a life without the internet 
because it causes me so much aggravation. Technology is supposed to make 
life easier, not more aggravating.