I feel embarrassed when people comment on my screen settings. I know this is ridiculous, please help me get over it.

Have you tried adding speak to word?

You need to speak to someone and get it sorted out. Nobody can work in those conditions

Speak to your manager and ask for occupational health they should supply you with a larger screen for that useless system. And accommodate others showing you on your screen.

Yep. Agree. You’d also be surprised what’s possible if/when OP declares a disability and asks for reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act in the form of new equipment - possibly provided under access to work if the employer can’t foot the bill. It’s not a good sign that her boss seems to be unaware of employer responsibility under the Act - OP effectively declared a disability affecting her work when she told her boss the difficulties with the equipment. And if people are commenting like this, that’s also not on and could possibly be seen as harassment. OP is talking about not being able to hold on to the job much longer if this carries on, and I would think she has a great case for constructive dismissal if that happens without the situation being addressed.

100%. I have been building and rebuilding systems and services since 1999, the equality act is very very clear - you just can't give someone an experience like this anymore, you haven't been able to for decades really. OP - go to HTR and make a formal complaint, this is literally illegal.

Yep. I was a disability outreach worker in another life and my first thought was that this can’t possibly be legal. OP should declare a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and ask for reasonable adjustment as well as access to work funding for an appropriate system which wont potentially exacerbate existing problems.

Jesus, that post you quoted is HORRIBLE!

I had to give up badminton due to my eyesight issues. My friend said "that's why you wear glasses though!". Well, no, actually. The glasses are for my long sightedness, short sightedness and to an extent astigmatism. They don't, and can never, compensate for the loss of vision due to a retina repair a few years ago nor correct sight loss from a hole in my macular.

Speaking as a service designer (what you are using) and as a disability and accessibility expert - what your employer is forcing you to do is almost definitely illegal. Very illegal.

There’s a difference between using glasses for a common eyesight problem and having to use specialist equipment for a condition which disrupts your eyesight and can be considered a disability. Would you tell a blind person they should use glasses ? No ? Thought not. So why are you telling someone who clearly has more than the usual eyesight problems to suck it up ?

Of course you're not a failure.
It's not your fault.
In fact I'd say you're trying very hard.

Ps my eyesight is very poor , I always say if I can't see something. No one has ever commented.

A deep sigh and "are you always this challenging towards people with a disability/eye problems/poor eyesight/visual impairment?" (delete as appropriate) might work. And then tell your LM you feel you're being picked on because you are. It's reasonable to ask once, just in case they have some knowledge of how to make the text bigger or something and they can help you out, but after that it's just haranguing you for no reason at all.

Because you haven't told them you have vision problems.

You'd be surprised what suddenly becomes possible when it's a member of senior management/HR telling them it's necessary, compared to a mere employee.

Would you qualify for Access To Work funding? Disabled people and their employers can use this to buy tools and equipment they need to help them access work effectively - eg special software.

www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Have you seen occupational health? Would a larger screen (width ways) allow you to see the whole of the page you need? Or at least the full width of the page? Your employer should be providing things like this as a reasonable adjustment.

Maybe speak to the RNIB about up to date assistive technology? They have a team you can speak to who may be best placed to advise you.

https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/assistive-aids-and-technology/everyday-tech/

I worked with a lady who was blind with a tiny pinhole of vision and she had all sorts of technology made available to her for different programmes - not all of them could be used with Dragon software for example, but there were a mix of options available to her for her specific needs.

I'm sorry you're struggling with the diagnosis and living with this, it sounds hard. Are you also claiming PIP? That might help you buy bits and pieces you need for home and work?

Can you ask your workstation to be moved to a more private area, in the corner or something, where people aren't continually walking past and seeing/commenting on your screen?

As a visually impaired person I really sympathise. I can't manage many 'normal' computer setups and also need to have the screen very close and at the right angle to my face, so I can't use a laptop, which puzzles people a lot. 'Can't you get better glasses?' they say, and I sometimes mutter 'What a good idea, if only I'd thought of that 30 years ago.'
It is personal and I'd rather keep it to myself, but colleagues always notice and have their own views about it. I find it easiest to tell everyone I work with and keep repeating it if necessary. Your colleagues may not be annoyed so much as bewildered, but if their attitude is upsetting you, you could write out a short statement and get your line manager or HR to send it round with a reminder that reasonable adjustments and respect are required for any kind of health problem. I hope you only give up the job if you don't like it, not because of this.

A side issue but record any informal training on your phone.

I have some colleagues who have their screen set up differently to the standard layout - different SAP themes, dark mode, "fun" fonts etc and I struggle to process what is on their screen, but as soon as I look at the same thing on my own screen it just clicks.

It is understandable if they struggle to process information on your screen when it looks so different, so you need to be as considerate of this as you expect them to be considerate to you.

You don't need to explain your eye issues in detail, but there is no reason not to tell people you need the screen like that and they will probably be more accommodating and can work out together how you can share information - perhaps dual monitors with the screen duplicated and the resolution on one is standard setting? Or share a link to the information to them so they can view on their own screen....

Yes exactly this, just own it, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I would imagine it’s something said without thinking and most of them will be mortified when you explain. And if they aren’t well they are tossers.

You have a medical condition that requires you to have your screen set up in such a way to make it work for you. Not for them. For you.

So if you have to scroll across and they come out with a comment about the way that your screen is set up, I'd actually be prepared for that by having a load of pages printed off in a nice bundle and hand them one which details your condition and respond with "Well, I have to have the screens set up like this so that I can work, you're welcome to read up on my condition which might explain why the screens have to be set up like this. Here you go" and keep doing what you're doing. Or you could reply with "Well, the screens are set up this way for me, not you, because you don't have a medical condition that requires it. Here's some information on the condition so that you can understand why I have to have the screens set up like this" and hand them a page that describes your condition.

If you're factual, not aggressive but assertive in your responses to your colleagues, they will stop making the comments. However, if you don't respond to their comments, I think they will keep making them.

If the condition affects your day to day life, including your workplace, you could declare it as a disability to your employer under the Equality Act 2010. Your employer would then need to look at your working conditions and agree reasonable adjustment with you, to make things easier. Potentially they could look at specialist equipment for you, for which they may be able to claim funding under the Access to Work scheme.

This would also mean that you have protected characteristics in the workplace from day one as a disabled person. Your colleagues commenting like this is not on - it could also be seen as harassment - and possibly going down that route will be helpful. Have a look at the relevant section of the Equality Act 2010 - link is below.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

That sounds so annoying- and your colleagues sound like assholes.

This sounds really frustrating and i get why it’s upsetting.

I want to highlight that as much as you absolutely have the right to privacy and don’t have to share your medical condition with others - your colleagues are in a better position to be considerate if they have some knowledge.

People aren’t being inconsiderate deliberately, it’s through ignorance. While you get every comment, they aren’t aware of that - and likely don’t even remember when they have commented themselves. When they ask you to change the screen they are advocating for themselves (they can’t read it) the way you need to.

I’d strongly recommend re-thinking keeping this entirely to yourself. If you could just say - I’ve got eye issues that mean I cannot read the default font - how about we work through together on our own computers so we can both see?

For training ask if you can record them. Again just say I’ve got eye issues and can’t follow your screen - can I grab my laptop so I can follow along? Or can I record this so I can make sure I get it right?

You don’t have to provide your test results, or specific diagnosis, but highlighting that you need a larger font size is really not that personal.

and yes, it might make sense to job hunt for a place that uses software you can read using standard tools. But don’t leave yourself unemployed unnecessarily.

"Other people are not just like me and therefore they must be lying."