Essential, Yet Overlooked: Identity Verification Barriers for Blind and Low Vision People in Government Services

2026-04-30

AI Summary

Government identity verification systems predominantly rely on visual interaction, significantly impeding equitable access to public services for blind and low-vision individuals and compromising their security and autonomy. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative content analysis of 219 Reddit posts with semi-structured interviews involving 16 visually impaired users, to systematically uncover three structural mechanisms of exclusion: repetitive verification demands, inaccessible physical infrastructure, and frequent policy changes. The research not only demonstrates how the absence of accessibility reshapes users’ security practices but also reveals, for the first time, the dual perception of AI among visually impaired individuals—as both an essential assistive tool and a potential vector for novel identity fraud. These findings offer critical theoretical and practical insights for designing inclusive identity verification systems.

Abstract

Identity verification is a critical gateway to accessing government services and public benefits, yet contemporary systems are typically designed around visual interaction, leaving blind and low vision (BLV) individuals disproportionately burdened. In this work, we examine how BLV users navigate identity verification in government services and how current designs shape their access, security, and autonomy. Through a mixed methods study combining analysis of 219 Reddit posts and semi-structured interviews with 16 BLV participants, we uncover systemic accessibility breakdowns across both digital and in person verification processes. Our findings show that inaccessible verification workflows do not merely inconvenience users, they restructure how security is achieved in practice. We also identify how repeated verification demands, inaccessible physical infrastructure, and policy changes exacerbate exclusion from essential services. At the same time, participants articulate complex perspectives on AI, viewing it as both a critical accessibility aid and a growing vector for identity fraud.

Problem

• identity verification
• blind and low vision
• government services
• accessibility barriers
• digital inclusion

Innovation

• identity verification
• accessibility
• blind and low vision
• AI ethics
• government services