Are you word-verification-challenged?

For those of you who are word-verification-challenged, I am sure that you are delighted by Blogger's new adaptation of the handicapped feature. (I just noticed it this morning.)

Now, when required to enter the word verification in order to comment on a blog, like my blog for instance, you can click on the pictogram of the blue handicapped person near the text entry box. The computer will then read out loud the letters/numbers that you must type into the box.

I don't know if use of the handicapped symbol in such an event is proper or not, but shouldn't the little blue wheelchair-bound individual depicted at least be wearing a helmet? The type of people who struggle in correctly typing short sequences of letters usually fall down a lot or hit their heads on random objects like buildings.

It therefore amuses me to no end that certain friends of mine, who invariably struggle with the word verification, are now regarded as handicapped by Blogger. Well, perhaps that isn't a fair assessment. I will say that anyone who actually uses that feature is handicapped, and should be wearing a helmet. I think that those are the type of people who would choose to wear helmets while performing an activity which carries an extremely low risk of head injury, like snowshoeing.

Of course, I don't know why it is called word verification in the first place, as there are never words to type in, only random strings of alphanumeric code. I am certain that Dan, who is a novelist, can attest that the "words" are never actual "words."

Naturally, I will go so far as refraining to comment at all if I cannot enter the proper string of letters, rather than accept using the handicapped feature.

It's the principle of the thing.