Screen Resolution/Ethics Question

[dgillz]

I am not sure this is the best place to post this, but its the best place I can find. I am interested in the legality and ethics (particularly the legality) of publishing a software package that requires a 1024 x 768 resolution. I am working with a package now that requires this, and frankly, I have trouble reading it. I have my screen resolution set to 800 x 600 normally.

I am specifically curious if this type of enforced resolution might violate some sort of equal access law such as Americans with Disabilities Act or something similar. Doesn't this discriminate against someone with less that great eyesight? And yes, I do wear glasses at work.

Any insights here would be appreciated.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Exact Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.trianglepartners.com

 

[edfair]

No ethics or legal problems with it. You want to use it, you use the hardware it takes. Letters too small, get a bigger screen.
If the requirements were hidden in the box, then you may have a valid complaint that could be resolved by software return.
Sounds like they are trying to market to the higher end users with more expensive hardware available.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[lionelhill]

I have some concerns about the "because some people can't do it, no one should be allowed to do it..." school of anti-discrimination law.

 

[craigsboyd]

I agree wholeheartedly with what has already been posted in response. Nothing unethical in my mind - in fact I would go so far as to say that creating/enforcing such a rule/law would be extremely unethical. You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

Slighthaze = NULL
_{craig1442@mchsi.com}

"Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad." - Anon​

 

[jrbarnett]

Dgillz,

I don't think that a forced resolution for a specific piece of software counts as unethical unless it deliberately stops screen magnification software or readers for the blind from working.

In the UK the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 implements the vast majority of anti disability discrimination, so you might want to search for information about that to look for UK answers if the audience for your software is outside the USA.

John

 

[flyboytim]

I agree that there is no ethical problem here. There is no way that specifying a screen resolution can be viewed as a means to discriminate against people, any more than writing an application for a particular piece of hardware or an operating system can be said to discriminate against users of other hardware or other O/S's. If I wrote my application in Arabic, noone could say I am discriminating against non-Arabic literate people. Traffic indicators discriminate against colour-blind people? Sorry, it's just tough luck. Do it their way, or write your own.

 

[lionelhill]

jrbarnett, you are right. The only thing I'd add is that it is the responsibility of the magnifiers and reader software to cope with the real world, not the responsibility of the real world to make itself fit the requirements of the accessibility software (in my personal view).

 

[jrbarnett]

Lionelhill,

I had somebody contact me out of the blue, saying they had found my CV on the web and asking if I would consider writing a crossword program suitable for blind and partially sighted computer users which can be operated wholly via keyboard use. There were plenty of crossword programs available, but all required mouse use or didn't provide hooks for screen readers.

I looked into this, and the code necessary to provide hooks for screen readers is quite phenomenal - it is certainly not something your average Joe Programmer VB/VBA/Java/C++ developer is going to be able to do.
Yet, for anybody with such sight problems, that software is essential, not nice to have. In order for programmers like me to use it, there is no simple object library to use that will work for every different reader available.

In the end I turned down this opportunity as I felt it would take too long and I really didn't have a clue when it came to writing the all important audio feedback facilities.

John

 

[Chance1234]

sorry this post just made me laugh,


Filmmaker, gentlemen and proffesional drinker

http://public.fotki.com/chance1234/

 

[lionelhill]

jrbarnett, I agree, such software ought to be available, and I personally wouldn't mind seeing my tax money going towards paying people like you to write it. I'm not denying it's hard to do. Once in the days of acorn atoms I spent a good while trying to write a half-way decent shoot space-ships game that played entirely by tones. The trouble was it was very difficult to dream up something playable.

 

[GlenJohnson]

Why not Recomended Screen Resolution
If it's hard to read at something less, it's not your problem, you suggested a higher resolution. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
"Fall seven times, stand up eight."
Proverb

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

Write a program that doesn't require a particular window size or shape. For example, Photoshop works better on higher res screens, but it'll still work on low-res screens.

If you want to make your software ADA compliant, then learn what makes software ADA compliant and do that.

The links on

http://www.nwbuildnet.com/nwbn/ada.html

might be helpful.

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door