1. Messages
  2. Does turning-on "BitLocker" cause any accessibility issues?

Locked Re: Does turning-on "BitLocker" cause any accessibility issues?

Øyvind Lode
 

Bitlocker is definitely not accessible with NVDA or any other screen reader.
My employer insists on bitlocker and I have to estimate when to input
the bitlocker pin code.
It is required to input the bitlocker pin when powering on the laptop
(cold start) or when restarting it.
The bitlocker prompt is consistent though so rarely had issues.
You have to estimate when it is time to enter pin but don't wait too
long because then bitlocker powers down the laptop if no input is
received.
I can't disable this and I can't disable the pin.
This is a company group policy.
So, when it is time enter pin and press enter and if all went well
windows boots up and you hear nvda greeting you when ready to log in
to your windows account.
I've been working from home now over a year with this laptop and never
had issues with bitlocker or needed sighted assistance.
Ok, maybe a couple of times during windows updates since it is slower
to reboot when installing updates and I simply used FaceTime with a
colleague and he told me that the laptop still was installing and
preparing restart.

On Wed, 26 May 2021 at 19:20, JM Casey <jmcasey@...> wrote:

Agreed! Hopefully they are successful in arranging an alternative solution.







From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> On Behalf Of Brian Vogel
Sent: May 26, 2021 01:09 PM
To: nvda@nvda.groups.io
Subject: Re: [nvda] Does turning-on "BitLocker" cause any accessibility issues?



On Wed, May 26, 2021 at 12:55 PM, JM Casey wrote:

trying to suggest that an organisation do thigns differently (or use a different application) is sometimes just a losing battle – they just won’t budge.

-
No one knows this better than I do, believe me. I worked in the IT industry for decades, and even after I'd left it I was on "the other side" of this battle on more than one occasion.

The OP did say this, "However, it is a requirement of the employer to have such on a home PC used for remote work (HIPAA)." That was after my having raised concerns about BitLocker. It is still not entirely clear to me whether the employer is insisting on BitLocker, which is likely, or just encryption, which could also be the case.

It is at least somewhat problematic for any employer, particularly if we're talking "gig work," to insist that anything other than what's needed to meet the requirements of the law be used. That's why I suggest pushing back, and that doesn't mean belligerent pushing back. Often something akin to, "BitLocker has proven to cause accessibility issues that can make it significantly more difficult for me to perform this job and do other routine tasks of my own. Would it be possible to use {insert chosen alternative here} for encryption?" Many of the alternatives are well-known to those who need to know about them for HIPAA compliance purposes. The answer might surprise.
Join {nvda@nvda.groups.io to automatically receive all group messages.