There’s now a specially-made token that enables the blind to transact online easily and just as securely as users who rely on regular tokens for funds transfers, buying shares or other Internet activities.
Unveiled today by Singapore-based company Assurity, it is able to read aloud the one-time passwords usually flashed on the small screen of a handheld token. Larger and heavier than regular tokens, it also comes with a registration number embossed in Braille.
The new token will enable users to log in and transact with a number of services that Assurity has partnered with service providers for, through its OneKey program. These include securities trading and other banking services.
The company hopes that the new token will enable the blind to transact online, just as securely as other users through what is known two-factor authentication (2FA). Besides logging in on a computer, a user is asked to key in an one-time password on the token when he transfers funds or buys shares online, for example.
Wholly owned by the Singapore government, Assurity wants to provide a single token for users who want to transact on, say, various banks and other websites (read our commentary on two-factor tokens).
The token is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. Users can register for it at the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped Association (SAVH) or through online service providers which require the OneKey token to log in.
If you need a 2fa device that can be used by the visually impared there is the safeid/audio hardware token;
https://deepnetsecurity.com/authenticators/one-time-password/safeid/
“Designed for vision impaired people, SafeID/Audio speaks out the one-time password as it is displayed on the LCD screen. It is time-based, OATH/TOTP compliant.”
This seems like extremely neat technology! I use a 2fa solution called Toopher that uses my smartphone as the external token. Toopher has an automation feature that allows the authentication process take place based off the location awareness of your smartphone. I wonder if Toopher could help with something like this… seems like it would make it easier!