Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Writer seeking advice on writing a blind character- what should I include or be sure to avoid? (self.Blind)
submitted by kobillabong
Hey! I hope this type of post is permitted, if it isn’t I hope someone can redirect me to a more appropriate subreddit. I’m an author and I am currently writing a story that features a blind character. I want my portrayal to be as accurate as possible and I was hoping individuals who are blind could help me insure my depiction is a good representation. I want to avoid inaccurate tropes and be sure my character can be relatable to someone who is blind rather than an annoying misrepresentation.
So, if you would like to help me I would appreciate any insight into your experiences or your opinions on misrepresentations of blind individuals you see in media and common misconceptions about what it is like to be blind. Thanks for your time!
So, if you would like to help me I would appreciate any insight into your experiences or your opinions on misrepresentations of blind individuals you see in media and common misconceptions about what it is like to be blind. Thanks for your time!
gracefulltree 19 points 5y ago
I’ll be happy to chat with you, but I have a few questions to be able to do that.
1. Is your character totally blind or do they have some usable sight? (Blindness is a spectrum and there are people will all different levels of vision who are considered blind.)
2. Have they been blind since birth, or did something happen to them or did they develop an illness? If an illness, how long ago was the diagnosis and how has their vision changed?
3. What’s their feelings about being blind? If it’s a newer state for them, there could be anger, depression, helplessness, anxiety, fear, among others.
4. What do they do for work? Some jobs are more easily adapted to someone with a visual impairment.
5. What are there family and social supports?
6. Where do they live? A lot about their lives will be easier if they’re in a city, in terms of access to public transportation or paratransit services.
Remember, folks who are blind can do just about everything a sighted person can do, with the proper accommodations. Those might take money, and more time than it would for a sighted person, but aside from driving a car or flying a plane, there are ways to make it happen. For example, I’m blind and I do indoor rock climbing, write novels, work full-time, and pull weeds from the garden. I also play with the cat, cook dinner, get myself placed on my own and just about everything else I want to do.
Also, there are a number of memoirs by folks who are blind that you could read. (Every person has a different story!) There’s a lot of social misunderstanding about being blind and about what that means. There’s also discrimination. It’s real. We deal with it every day, even from those closest to us, sometimes.
Good luck writing, and let me know if you want to ask specific questions or run a scene by me. I’d be happy to look at something.
1. Is your character totally blind or do they have some usable sight? (Blindness is a spectrum and there are people will all different levels of vision who are considered blind.)
2. Have they been blind since birth, or did something happen to them or did they develop an illness? If an illness, how long ago was the diagnosis and how has their vision changed?
3. What’s their feelings about being blind? If it’s a newer state for them, there could be anger, depression, helplessness, anxiety, fear, among others.
4. What do they do for work? Some jobs are more easily adapted to someone with a visual impairment.
5. What are there family and social supports?
6. Where do they live? A lot about their lives will be easier if they’re in a city, in terms of access to public transportation or paratransit services.
Remember, folks who are blind can do just about everything a sighted person can do, with the proper accommodations. Those might take money, and more time than it would for a sighted person, but aside from driving a car or flying a plane, there are ways to make it happen. For example, I’m blind and I do indoor rock climbing, write novels, work full-time, and pull weeds from the garden. I also play with the cat, cook dinner, get myself placed on my own and just about everything else I want to do.
Also, there are a number of memoirs by folks who are blind that you could read. (Every person has a different story!) There’s a lot of social misunderstanding about being blind and about what that means. There’s also discrimination. It’s real. We deal with it every day, even from those closest to us, sometimes.
Good luck writing, and let me know if you want to ask specific questions or run a scene by me. I’d be happy to look at something.
cupcake6740 4 points 5y ago
I agree. If you have a basis of what type of blindness you’re going for it can help. I have albinism so I really only go 50%+ (depending on sunlight and if it’s night then it’s 50%) when I’m outside or there are car lights because I’m light sensitive. So that generally means I’m low vision until I’m outside or it’s bright in the room. Depending on the type of storyline you could use a situation like mine to your advantage where they get bullied and people shove lights in their eyes (sorry flashback moment haha) or it could be romantic where a person takes them out on dates to the forest so it’s low light and is helpful with their cane and everything. More context would be helpful
kobillabong [OP] 3 points 5y ago
Thank you for your response! I'm sorry, I was busy yesterday but I was very excited about your comment. It was really helpful and I appreciate your offer to chat, I will definitely message you any specific questions I may have! I apologize in advance if my answers to your questions seem vague, I can offer more specific information if it would help, I just am trying to keep some degree of anonymity on reddit. The story is science fiction so if it seems a little bizarre, that's why lol. I apologize in advance for the wall of text.
1&2. The character is a soldier and as it is currently written, he lost his sight from shrapnel to his eye. I have read that could result in complete blindness but as I learn and rewrite, I may change my mind. I'm sorry if I sound ignorant but could you elaborate on some specific examples of levels of vision? I have heard of light perception from watching Molly Burke's youtube channel but I am curious about other types.
3. This is an area where I am struggling. He lost his vision at 17 and when the story starts, he is 22. I have no idea if four years later he would be very well adjusted or still struggling in some aspects. I would love to hear someone's thoughts who has experienced going blind (your suggestion about reading memoirs was excellent by the way, I would love some recommendations if you have a book that you feel was very well done).
4. He is a high ranking military officer. The character has continued to be promoted in the military because he can still use his knowledge of strategy and textured maps to plan. I wanted to emphasize that he is just as capable at his job because he has learned to adapt. I recently read that it is difficult for a lot of deaf and blind individuals to find employment because sighted people underestimate their abilities, which is what inspired me to make his character blind in the first place. I really wanted to show that he, like all blind people, has learned to be independent and just as capable as anyone else.
5. He has two best friends as a support group. We can call them X and Y. X is available to help him constantly. I would love your advice on how X could provide assistance to him without being overbearing. As you said, "folks who are blind can do just about everything a sighted person can do" and I really want to make that apparent in his portrayal.
6. He lives in a military encampment most of the time.
Thank you again for all your help!!
1&2. The character is a soldier and as it is currently written, he lost his sight from shrapnel to his eye. I have read that could result in complete blindness but as I learn and rewrite, I may change my mind. I'm sorry if I sound ignorant but could you elaborate on some specific examples of levels of vision? I have heard of light perception from watching Molly Burke's youtube channel but I am curious about other types.
3. This is an area where I am struggling. He lost his vision at 17 and when the story starts, he is 22. I have no idea if four years later he would be very well adjusted or still struggling in some aspects. I would love to hear someone's thoughts who has experienced going blind (your suggestion about reading memoirs was excellent by the way, I would love some recommendations if you have a book that you feel was very well done).
4. He is a high ranking military officer. The character has continued to be promoted in the military because he can still use his knowledge of strategy and textured maps to plan. I wanted to emphasize that he is just as capable at his job because he has learned to adapt. I recently read that it is difficult for a lot of deaf and blind individuals to find employment because sighted people underestimate their abilities, which is what inspired me to make his character blind in the first place. I really wanted to show that he, like all blind people, has learned to be independent and just as capable as anyone else.
5. He has two best friends as a support group. We can call them X and Y. X is available to help him constantly. I would love your advice on how X could provide assistance to him without being overbearing. As you said, "folks who are blind can do just about everything a sighted person can do" and I really want to make that apparent in his portrayal.
6. He lives in a military encampment most of the time.
Thank you again for all your help!!
SunnyLego 1 points 5y ago
One of my friends from Association for the Blind was actually blinded from an accident while working in military duties, I’ll give him a message and see if he’s interested in chatting about this.
kobillabong [OP] 1 points 5y ago
Thank you so much!
SunnyLego 1 points 5y ago
Sending you a pm.
RogueCandyKane 10 points 5y ago
Avoid bumping into things. Include a stylish character. There are lots of ways around things so that a person with a visual impairment can do the same things as others. So for example I use puffy paint to write on the colours of my items of clothing so I can coordinate my outfits. I still want to look good.
I ask my friends to read out menus. I use a cane and I have a guide dog. I might do things differently but I still do them. So have your blind character doing things. Don’t make the blindness a primary personality fact - the person is a person first who is also blind - it’s not all who they are, just a part of who they are
I ask my friends to read out menus. I use a cane and I have a guide dog. I might do things differently but I still do them. So have your blind character doing things. Don’t make the blindness a primary personality fact - the person is a person first who is also blind - it’s not all who they are, just a part of who they are
kobillabong [OP] 2 points 5y ago
I love your suggestion that he should be stylish. I will definitely include that! It suits his charming personality well. Your comment was very useful. If you don't mind answering a question, I heard that people who are blind prefer to be referred to as "a person who is blind" rather than "a blind person". Is this true and is there any other terminology that is offensive I should avoid?
RogueCandyKane 2 points 5y ago
I’d say that true of all disabilities. A person with a disability is much more accurate than “a disabled person”. The second makes the disability the dominant trait.
Another thing to think about is seeing blindness as a spectrum much like we understand deafness is a spectrum. We understand that a person may be a bit Graf but still have some hearing. It’s the same with blindness. A person may be blind but still have some useful vision. In fact, that’s the majority of blind people. If decide what Eye condition your character has and research it. There are many conditions that cause blindness and each one has different impacts. So for example Macula Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa - they are opposites of each other (although that’s an over simplified explanation). MD caused central vision loss and RP causes peripheral vision loss.
Blind is also an emotive word. Some blind people prefer visual impairment, or sight impaired, or partially sighted, or “can’t see very well”. It can be a hurdle to overcome to be comfortable with saying blind.
Some people who have no useful vision at all refer to themselves as “totals” to distinguish themselves.
Some people are ok with everyday language such as see or look, others prefer that this words are avoided.
But generally yes, something like “my friend X, who has a visual impairment” is more accurate than “my blind friend x”. The second is reductive.
It depends how each individual feels though.
But never, ever use the term “the blind” or “the disabled”. Ugh, that makes me shudder. It’s the definition of othering.
Good luck!
Another thing to think about is seeing blindness as a spectrum much like we understand deafness is a spectrum. We understand that a person may be a bit Graf but still have some hearing. It’s the same with blindness. A person may be blind but still have some useful vision. In fact, that’s the majority of blind people. If decide what Eye condition your character has and research it. There are many conditions that cause blindness and each one has different impacts. So for example Macula Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa - they are opposites of each other (although that’s an over simplified explanation). MD caused central vision loss and RP causes peripheral vision loss.
Blind is also an emotive word. Some blind people prefer visual impairment, or sight impaired, or partially sighted, or “can’t see very well”. It can be a hurdle to overcome to be comfortable with saying blind.
Some people who have no useful vision at all refer to themselves as “totals” to distinguish themselves.
Some people are ok with everyday language such as see or look, others prefer that this words are avoided.
But generally yes, something like “my friend X, who has a visual impairment” is more accurate than “my blind friend x”. The second is reductive.
It depends how each individual feels though.
But never, ever use the term “the blind” or “the disabled”. Ugh, that makes me shudder. It’s the definition of othering.
Good luck!
kobillabong [OP] 3 points 5y ago
Thank you! I'm sorry if I sound ignorant, I haven't had a lot of experience interacting with people who have disabilities and I really want to be certain I use the correct language. I will look into specific eye conditions and definitely avoid using any language that could be othering!
blindjo 3 points 5y ago
An additional point on language and personality- some people like to joke around about their disability. If your character is more of an outgoing go-with-the-flow-type, that might be the case. A lot of my friends and i use words like “blindys” and “sighties” for comedic affect. Tread carefully though, because as previously mentioned not everyone is comfortable with this and i wouldnt want to say this type of language is acceptable in every situation.
Also, i noticed a few other things in your comments that i figure i’d reply to here to avoid making multiple comments. Depending on your character’s personality, four years is a decent amount of time to adapt quite a bit, especially if he is a military man. By that point in time he could realistically live independantly with the right resources and support structure.
He most likely would have underwent O&M (orientation and mobility) training (independant travel, cane skills etc). Even though those silent traffic lights are annoying, they’re still crossable. He would just wait to listen for parallel traffic to cross.
On your question about different types of visual impairment, here is some additional info. Some folks are “high partial” meaning that they are blind but they still have a decent amount of remaining vision. I am one of those folks. I have a juvenile form of macular degeneration, meaning that my center field of vision is blurry. I also constantly see neon lights that aren’t actually there. I have enough remaining sight to read large print, and i find myself using digital magnifiers more than screenreaders (though i do use both). Another one of my high partial friends has RP, and since her center field hasn’t been affected, she has enough remaining vision to read small print without assistance. She also has basically no night vision. Since your character lost his vision from an accident, he probably will have more severe loss
Have fun writing!
Also, i noticed a few other things in your comments that i figure i’d reply to here to avoid making multiple comments. Depending on your character’s personality, four years is a decent amount of time to adapt quite a bit, especially if he is a military man. By that point in time he could realistically live independantly with the right resources and support structure.
He most likely would have underwent O&M (orientation and mobility) training (independant travel, cane skills etc). Even though those silent traffic lights are annoying, they’re still crossable. He would just wait to listen for parallel traffic to cross.
On your question about different types of visual impairment, here is some additional info. Some folks are “high partial” meaning that they are blind but they still have a decent amount of remaining vision. I am one of those folks. I have a juvenile form of macular degeneration, meaning that my center field of vision is blurry. I also constantly see neon lights that aren’t actually there. I have enough remaining sight to read large print, and i find myself using digital magnifiers more than screenreaders (though i do use both). Another one of my high partial friends has RP, and since her center field hasn’t been affected, she has enough remaining vision to read small print without assistance. She also has basically no night vision. Since your character lost his vision from an accident, he probably will have more severe loss
Have fun writing!
RogueCandyKane 3 points 5y ago
I’d rather you ask than make assumptions. Enjoy your research
cae_jones 2 points 5y ago
I'm going to disagree with /u/rogueCandyCane's assessment a bit. The huge negative comment about "the blind" and "the disabled" surprised me.
Most blind people I've interacted with go with the term "blind people". Some foreigners use blind as a countable noun (ex, referring to multiple blind people as "blinds"), but native English speakers consistently dislike it (but rarely in a very vocal way). I hear "blink" and "blindy" used ironically as if they're common slurs, but I don't know if I've ever heard them used unironically. Still, avoid those.
The blind vs visually impaired thing comes down to personal preference, generally speaking. If you'll recall how there was a period where the mainstream consensus was that "African American" was the preferred terminology, but it didn't stick and people today just go with either "black people" or "people of color", and the latter almost exclusively in a political context... there are some who see many of these supposed-to-be-inoffensive alternatives to "blind" in a similar light, while others find blindness sufficiently negative that they'll insist on visually impaired (especially if they have partial vision remaining).
When I was in school, the terms I heard were "legally blind", "visually impaired", "the x for the blind and visually impaired", and "blind" on its own was used mostly as a convenient short form. I took it as meaning I was legally blind, but technically visually impaired, since, at the time, I had some remaining vision in one eye. It wasn't the kind of distinction where I ever felt the need to "well, technically" anyone over it. I guess "blind" was an umbrella term of sorts, kinda like "see" is often used as an umbrella term for observation in general.
After my vision got bad enough that it was effectively gone, I sorta started to prefer "visually impaired" for my own usage, on the grounds that it felt like giving up on fixing it to use "blind", but I knew I was being kinda paranoid about it, and had no problems with other people just saying "blind". Actually, it was kinda cringy encountering alternatives in the wild.
These days, "visually impaired" feels kinda like trying to hide from reality behind words, outside of the medical context where it conveys useful information. (I don't think most people would pick up on the total vs partial distinction in an everyday context.) There are some who would see insisting on "visually impaired" as a lack of "accepting one's blindness", although that concept is confusing to me and I've mostly heard it associated with advocacy organizations such as the NFB.
But I've never heard anyone who was so intent on people-first language that they don't find "people with blindness" or "people with visual impairement" cringe-inducing. This includes people who strongly favor "people with disabilities" over "disabled people". I'm not sure why the former sounds awful and the latter sounds good, but that is my experience and the opinions I've heard from others.
Most blind people I've interacted with go with the term "blind people". Some foreigners use blind as a countable noun (ex, referring to multiple blind people as "blinds"), but native English speakers consistently dislike it (but rarely in a very vocal way). I hear "blink" and "blindy" used ironically as if they're common slurs, but I don't know if I've ever heard them used unironically. Still, avoid those.
The blind vs visually impaired thing comes down to personal preference, generally speaking. If you'll recall how there was a period where the mainstream consensus was that "African American" was the preferred terminology, but it didn't stick and people today just go with either "black people" or "people of color", and the latter almost exclusively in a political context... there are some who see many of these supposed-to-be-inoffensive alternatives to "blind" in a similar light, while others find blindness sufficiently negative that they'll insist on visually impaired (especially if they have partial vision remaining).
When I was in school, the terms I heard were "legally blind", "visually impaired", "the x for the blind and visually impaired", and "blind" on its own was used mostly as a convenient short form. I took it as meaning I was legally blind, but technically visually impaired, since, at the time, I had some remaining vision in one eye. It wasn't the kind of distinction where I ever felt the need to "well, technically" anyone over it. I guess "blind" was an umbrella term of sorts, kinda like "see" is often used as an umbrella term for observation in general.
After my vision got bad enough that it was effectively gone, I sorta started to prefer "visually impaired" for my own usage, on the grounds that it felt like giving up on fixing it to use "blind", but I knew I was being kinda paranoid about it, and had no problems with other people just saying "blind". Actually, it was kinda cringy encountering alternatives in the wild.
These days, "visually impaired" feels kinda like trying to hide from reality behind words, outside of the medical context where it conveys useful information. (I don't think most people would pick up on the total vs partial distinction in an everyday context.) There are some who would see insisting on "visually impaired" as a lack of "accepting one's blindness", although that concept is confusing to me and I've mostly heard it associated with advocacy organizations such as the NFB.
But I've never heard anyone who was so intent on people-first language that they don't find "people with blindness" or "people with visual impairement" cringe-inducing. This includes people who strongly favor "people with disabilities" over "disabled people". I'm not sure why the former sounds awful and the latter sounds good, but that is my experience and the opinions I've heard from others.
mobiledakeo 8 points 5y ago
People tend to like to include face touching scenes where the blind character will feel their partner/friends face to “see what they look like” but that’s not actually common like at all so I wouldn’t include anything like that
kobillabong [OP] 2 points 5y ago
Thank you! That is really useful. I will be sure to omit that.
If you don't mind, I do have two questions your comment brought up. This may seem obvious so I apologize if I sound ignorant but do you ever create a mental image of what you think someone looks like?
I also have a question about physical touch in general. Is it polite to always ask before you touch someone you are well-acquainted with who is blind or would it be acceptable if, for example, a friend unexpectedly touched you on the shoulder when they were talking to you?
If you don't mind, I do have two questions your comment brought up. This may seem obvious so I apologize if I sound ignorant but do you ever create a mental image of what you think someone looks like?
I also have a question about physical touch in general. Is it polite to always ask before you touch someone you are well-acquainted with who is blind or would it be acceptable if, for example, a friend unexpectedly touched you on the shoulder when they were talking to you?
mobiledakeo 2 points 5y ago
Creating a mental image on what someone looks like depends on the degree of blindness and/or if the person has had sight before
As for the touch question it really depends on the relationship in a way because if a random stranger grabs you without warning (even if they have good intentions like “helping you cross the road”) it can be pretty alarming since you have no idea who this person is or what they’re doing
Some people don’t like to be touched period blind or not and others might not mind it if it’s a friend just touching their shoulder or what not so that kind of depends on your character
As for the touch question it really depends on the relationship in a way because if a random stranger grabs you without warning (even if they have good intentions like “helping you cross the road”) it can be pretty alarming since you have no idea who this person is or what they’re doing
Some people don’t like to be touched period blind or not and others might not mind it if it’s a friend just touching their shoulder or what not so that kind of depends on your character
cae_jones 3 points 5y ago
/u/gracefulltree says it pretty well, but basically, there's a ton of diversity based on circumstance, attitude, etc. The best known tropes (Daredevil, helpless, Unusually wise, and Sir touchalot the serial groper) are generally awful, even if there's occasionally a version done well (I mean, Daredevil's pretty popular among blind people, but as a trope it gets frustrating).
I'd say it'd be good to just read blind people's experiences, but I'm not sure how best to find those for daily life, rather than with the blindness as the focal point. I'm sure there's some blind blogger out there for whom 8/10 of their posts are just mundane diary entries, but I wouldn't know how to find them. If I'd been doing that sort of thing, I would have been less motivated to write about all the days where I ate lunch, spaced out at the computer, sanded some blocks, and went home without anything interesting happening. It would have been more "I really should get around to buying rainboots for days where a normal walking speed sends the water nearly to my knees," and "I thought I was going the wrong way when I wasn't, and wound up walking an extra 3 miles, and somehow this worked out in my favor," and "Had to run from a guy who was determined to get me in his car without permission, and wound up on the median until someone better at fending off well-meaning jerks showed up and molified them." The interesting stuff happens, but it doesn't tell you much (other than why I don't care for certain parts of Indianapolis after 5:00PM).
Also, setting. Place, time, culture, background, etc. This subreddit seems to avoid running afoul of factional squabbles I've run into elsewhere (opinions on organizations such as the NFB / ACB / AFB (US), RNIB (UK), CNIB (Canada), etc, or public vs specialist schools, or how much accommodation is reasonable to expect/request/demand, or on the continued relevance of Braille, or so on and so forth. Blind politics can get as intractable as mainstream politics, and since that's often relevant to the contexts where blind people encounter other blind people, a lot of negativity can sometimes ensue.). A complete disconnect from the blind community would be much easier to work with, but then you have to wonder how that affects the character's opportunities, misconceptions, etc. You have blind people who are afraid to leave their house unattended, and you have blind people who travel the world. Blind people who read Braille at 300 words per minute, and blind people who hate braille and demand their menus be read to them (well, now there are apps for that, but those are relatively new). Guide dogs: yes, no, meh? Do they give up on looking for work easily, after the 5th year of paper-thin rejections, or never? Do they take the stereotype-trodden paths (law, computers, advocacy, call centers, the IRS?), or do they do something else? If they were blind from early on, how did their family / school / etc react? Have they met other blind people, and if so, what are the answers to all of the above for them, and how do these different profiles interact?
This got wall-o-text-y a while ago, but I could go on. We could write out one of those character profile question lists specifically geared toward blind characters, I suppose, if that would help?
I'd say it'd be good to just read blind people's experiences, but I'm not sure how best to find those for daily life, rather than with the blindness as the focal point. I'm sure there's some blind blogger out there for whom 8/10 of their posts are just mundane diary entries, but I wouldn't know how to find them. If I'd been doing that sort of thing, I would have been less motivated to write about all the days where I ate lunch, spaced out at the computer, sanded some blocks, and went home without anything interesting happening. It would have been more "I really should get around to buying rainboots for days where a normal walking speed sends the water nearly to my knees," and "I thought I was going the wrong way when I wasn't, and wound up walking an extra 3 miles, and somehow this worked out in my favor," and "Had to run from a guy who was determined to get me in his car without permission, and wound up on the median until someone better at fending off well-meaning jerks showed up and molified them." The interesting stuff happens, but it doesn't tell you much (other than why I don't care for certain parts of Indianapolis after 5:00PM).
Also, setting. Place, time, culture, background, etc. This subreddit seems to avoid running afoul of factional squabbles I've run into elsewhere (opinions on organizations such as the NFB / ACB / AFB (US), RNIB (UK), CNIB (Canada), etc, or public vs specialist schools, or how much accommodation is reasonable to expect/request/demand, or on the continued relevance of Braille, or so on and so forth. Blind politics can get as intractable as mainstream politics, and since that's often relevant to the contexts where blind people encounter other blind people, a lot of negativity can sometimes ensue.). A complete disconnect from the blind community would be much easier to work with, but then you have to wonder how that affects the character's opportunities, misconceptions, etc. You have blind people who are afraid to leave their house unattended, and you have blind people who travel the world. Blind people who read Braille at 300 words per minute, and blind people who hate braille and demand their menus be read to them (well, now there are apps for that, but those are relatively new). Guide dogs: yes, no, meh? Do they give up on looking for work easily, after the 5th year of paper-thin rejections, or never? Do they take the stereotype-trodden paths (law, computers, advocacy, call centers, the IRS?), or do they do something else? If they were blind from early on, how did their family / school / etc react? Have they met other blind people, and if so, what are the answers to all of the above for them, and how do these different profiles interact?
This got wall-o-text-y a while ago, but I could go on. We could write out one of those character profile question lists specifically geared toward blind characters, I suppose, if that would help?
kobillabong [OP] 1 points 5y ago
I do not mind a wall-o-text at all, thank you for responding! I actually have been trying to find blind bloggers lol. I found one, Molly Burke, who is very informative but it's kinda funny the small incidents like your comments about rain boots, walking the wrong way and the median example are so interesting but she never thinks to mention them because that's just her life. My story is science fiction, so I am removed from a lot of politics that are localized to our time period like organizations, etc. There are some themes that cross over like even in sci-fi, I am sure my character faces discrimination and experiences frustration at a lack of infrastructure support (at least, that's my assumption. If I am wrong I want to be corrected. I only assume he would be frustrated because when I learned that not every intersection had voice automated technology to help blind people cross the street, that really pissed me off and I'm not even blind).
Here is some background on my character if that would help you give me some specific insights on how you think being blind may effect him: he is a career military man. He was not born blind, he lost his sight from a wound he sustained in the war when he was 17. I learned a lot of people who are blind have trouble finding employment because sighted employers underestimate their abilities so I really wanted to show that he adapted and continued to succeed at his job, for example he uses a textured map to plan attacks.You ask some really good questions and I would love to do a questionnaire, if you have some specific ideas on questions geared toward a blind character! That would be so helpful, thank you! I had never considered if he had ever met another blind person. I will have to think about that and the reactions of his friends and family. I was so focused on how it must have effected him, I completely overlooked how it would effect them. If I may ask, what sort of reactions do sighted people tend to have toward someone who is blind?
Here is some background on my character if that would help you give me some specific insights on how you think being blind may effect him: he is a career military man. He was not born blind, he lost his sight from a wound he sustained in the war when he was 17. I learned a lot of people who are blind have trouble finding employment because sighted employers underestimate their abilities so I really wanted to show that he adapted and continued to succeed at his job, for example he uses a textured map to plan attacks.You ask some really good questions and I would love to do a questionnaire, if you have some specific ideas on questions geared toward a blind character! That would be so helpful, thank you! I had never considered if he had ever met another blind person. I will have to think about that and the reactions of his friends and family. I was so focused on how it must have effected him, I completely overlooked how it would effect them. If I may ask, what sort of reactions do sighted people tend to have toward someone who is blind?
cae_jones 2 points 5y ago
I think I've only ever encountered one talking intersection, ever. I think there was a ticking one, too, but they might have been the same or on the same block or some such. I just listen to the traffic, but someone with hearing loss might have a harder time with that.
As for how sighted people react, like everything, it varies. Some people freak out, some get overprotective to the point of preventing the blind person from doing mundane things independently, others despair, or get paranoid but try to hang back, some are encouraging, and some are downright mean about it. You can get a mix within one group. For instance, I have one cousin who will insist on trying to guide me if he sees me going anywhere alone, while his brother is the exact opposite and tries to tell people to not do that. There was a time I was staying somewhere overnight with my stepmom, and I was planning to visit someone early the next morning, and she wasn't awake for me to tell her I was leaving. She just texted after she got up, and seemed fine with the whole thing, even though it involved going over a mile down a very busy highway. My dad's response when he found out was "I can't believe you let him do that." Overall, this is on the positive side of family attitudes, and these all many, many years after getting the news.
I'll see if I can put together something more helpful, but I'm not sure how well that will turn out.
As for how sighted people react, like everything, it varies. Some people freak out, some get overprotective to the point of preventing the blind person from doing mundane things independently, others despair, or get paranoid but try to hang back, some are encouraging, and some are downright mean about it. You can get a mix within one group. For instance, I have one cousin who will insist on trying to guide me if he sees me going anywhere alone, while his brother is the exact opposite and tries to tell people to not do that. There was a time I was staying somewhere overnight with my stepmom, and I was planning to visit someone early the next morning, and she wasn't awake for me to tell her I was leaving. She just texted after she got up, and seemed fine with the whole thing, even though it involved going over a mile down a very busy highway. My dad's response when he found out was "I can't believe you let him do that." Overall, this is on the positive side of family attitudes, and these all many, many years after getting the news.
I'll see if I can put together something more helpful, but I'm not sure how well that will turn out.
Amonwilde 1 points 5y ago
Good response. Does braille help with menus, though? Would be kind of awesome of menus had braille on them.
cae_jones 1 points 5y ago
I was referring to restaurant menus, so yeah, definitely. Before Seeing AI, the options were to make a waitor or sighted party member read it aloud, look it up online (if available), or Braille (if available). And with sufficient Braille skills, that is usually the most efficient option (I haven't met an online menu that wasn't somewhat cumbersome, and Seeing AI and KNFB take adjustment and messing with the app and such).
Since Braille menus are so rare, Seeing AI is a freakin' godsend. ... No, wait; since Braille is so rare in general, Seeing AI is *revolutionary*. Maybe TapTapSee got better at reading random text since I last tried, but Seeing AI will read anything it can see, if it's in print. And that's how I found out that someone left a card on my doorknob that said my trees were dangerous and they were offering to trim them. Seems ever-so-slightly scammy, but being able to reae arbitrary text with only slight lag is a *huge* step up from not at all.
That said, I still find Braille more convenient when available, by far.
Since Braille menus are so rare, Seeing AI is a freakin' godsend. ... No, wait; since Braille is so rare in general, Seeing AI is *revolutionary*. Maybe TapTapSee got better at reading random text since I last tried, but Seeing AI will read anything it can see, if it's in print. And that's how I found out that someone left a card on my doorknob that said my trees were dangerous and they were offering to trim them. Seems ever-so-slightly scammy, but being able to reae arbitrary text with only slight lag is a *huge* step up from not at all.
That said, I still find Braille more convenient when available, by far.
[deleted] 2 points 5y ago
I don’t have much more to contribute because all these answers are great. The only thing I disagree about is the message that blind people can do anything a sighted person can do. I am not a defeatist, and blind people can do amazing things, especially if they have access to technology training and adaptive equipment. However the reality is different at the lower income level. Fast food, cashiering, cleaning motel rooms... it ain’t easy finding an employer that will hire you. I wish someone would let me work free for a week to demonstrate my ability to work but they just don’t hire.
My advice is please don’t make a blind character inept, dependent, or give them superpowers.
My advice is please don’t make a blind character inept, dependent, or give them superpowers.
kobillabong [OP] 2 points 5y ago
Thank you! I will be sure to avoid doing all three and that type of advice is exactly what I was looking for so thank you for responding.
[deleted] 2 points 5y ago
You are very welcome! If you decide you need more info, I have experience with adult acquired blindness, vocational retraining, etc. and you are welcome to pick my brain anytime.
kobillabong [OP] 2 points 5y ago
Thank you! I definitely will message you if I can think of some good questions to ask. I actually have one question now lol. What is adult acquired blindness exactly? Is it when you lose your vision as an adult?
[deleted] 2 points 5y ago
I always had bad visual acuity since childhood but quickly lost much of my useable vision about 5 years ago. They call it adult acquired blindness at my vocational center just as a category I assume. There are a lot of different causes of blindness and every blind person sees the world in a different way. Before I was blind I thought it was like a switch like blind = dark. Is your character going to have total blindness (no light perception)?
estj136 2 points 5y ago
I am a very independent blind person and I have an English AA degree in creative writing. I’ve done Critiques if you want tips or me to read over I can do this. Usually during summers and winter breaks I will be able to read stuff I can chat other times.
themmama 2 points 5y ago
I'm totally blind, if you need help, dm me and we can chat.
kobillabong [OP] 1 points 5y ago
Thank you! I will definitely message you for help with specific questions!
[deleted] 1 points 5y ago
[deleted]
thepettyoodlenoodle 1 points 5y ago
-Most blind people see something, whether it may be light, shadows, or even changes in flooring materials.
-Blind people can’t love literature
-Most blind people are either very independent or dependent on others.
-Blind people can use technology
-Blind people can do ANYTHING a sighted person can besides driving. Whether he or she wants to is their choice...
-Blind people can’t love literature
-Most blind people are either very independent or dependent on others.
-Blind people can use technology
-Blind people can do ANYTHING a sighted person can besides driving. Whether he or she wants to is their choice...
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