Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Visual Representation of Blind Characters (self.Blind)
submitted by MLPBaby
Hi all!
I'm creating an accessible mobile game. While the majority of the game play is based on audio and gesture/swipe/taps on the phone, there will be some visual design elements for folks who have some vision. Everything we have so far is high contrast so I think we are good there (though correct me if I'm wrong!), but my question is specific to the main character, who is blind.
As we build this character, the question came up about whether or not he should have some kind of visual representation of his blindness. He is blind from birth and we've been careful to avoid any of the other "blind guy" tropes in our narrative. As a team, we are split 50/50 on whether to design the character with clouded irises present in some forms of blindness, vs none.
To me, it might be nice for someone to see (and thus relate to) a character that shares similar features but I get that this can also be percieved as a lazy design choice.
I appreciate any advice you may be able to offer! I want to make sure this app is created in the most thoughtful way possible. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the design choices that amke the most sense!
I'm creating an accessible mobile game. While the majority of the game play is based on audio and gesture/swipe/taps on the phone, there will be some visual design elements for folks who have some vision. Everything we have so far is high contrast so I think we are good there (though correct me if I'm wrong!), but my question is specific to the main character, who is blind.
As we build this character, the question came up about whether or not he should have some kind of visual representation of his blindness. He is blind from birth and we've been careful to avoid any of the other "blind guy" tropes in our narrative. As a team, we are split 50/50 on whether to design the character with clouded irises present in some forms of blindness, vs none.
To me, it might be nice for someone to see (and thus relate to) a character that shares similar features but I get that this can also be percieved as a lazy design choice.
I appreciate any advice you may be able to offer! I want to make sure this app is created in the most thoughtful way possible. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the design choices that amke the most sense!
impablomations 8 points 4y ago
If the character has been blind from birth then they would probably have a white cane.
I suppose it depends on how much of the character you see, full body vs head/shoulders.
If just a head shot then the cloudy eyes sounds good.
Obviously a majority of blind/visually impaired people have no outward signs of their disability but since it's a game character I can see a need to provide a visual cue.
I suppose it depends on how much of the character you see, full body vs head/shoulders.
If just a head shot then the cloudy eyes sounds good.
Obviously a majority of blind/visually impaired people have no outward signs of their disability but since it's a game character I can see a need to provide a visual cue.
MLPBaby [OP] 5 points 4y ago
Thanks for your comment!
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The game takes place in ancient times so we hadn't planned on the use of a white cane specifically, but its something for us to consider!
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There aren't a great deal of close up shots either which adds to the "is this really necessary?" aspect of the design.
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Thank you again for your feedback!!!
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The game takes place in ancient times so we hadn't planned on the use of a white cane specifically, but its something for us to consider!
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There aren't a great deal of close up shots either which adds to the "is this really necessary?" aspect of the design.
​
Thank you again for your feedback!!!
GoBlindOrGoHome 7 points 4y ago
Ancient times? Depending on the rest of the visual elements, I might even consider a blindfold. I woukdn't be offended by that, and I think it would add an element of mystery.
MLPBaby [OP] 3 points 4y ago
That's an interesting idea. I'll do a bit more research and throw it into the design ring. Thanks!
itisisidneyfeldman 7 points 4y ago
Thanks for making the game accessible to sighted folks! It's important to include everyone, even those of us living with a visual dependency.
You mentioned the time frame of the game as being ancient. So realistic prostheses and a literal white cane would not work, but it would be fair to include some visual indications, and maybe the choice you make could be tangentially worked into the character's backstory with one simple sentence or reference in the intro or some dialogue. Clouded irises would indicate some particular family of etiologies -- cataracts, scarring from injury, etc. For someone with anophthalmia, where the eyes never developed, you could render the eye orbits as concave with eyelids closed. And it seems reasonable to equip the character with a walking stick or branch for walking around. I guess my take is that you can make it clear that the design choice was thoughtful rather than lazy, without too much effort.
Tangetially: If it's an animated figure, you can consider if it would be reasonable to make something like a "resting animation" (if that's the term) where they might incline their head to a side or sway their body a little bit. That can be tricky because you don't want to embody a stereotype, but I think a faithful rendering of postural differences could be a nice departure from the usual representation, which is "blind person" = "sighted person minus eyes and plus cane, and that's it." For many blind folks it's not just a mannerism, but a way of gathering kinesthetic and auditory information about their environment that isn't available visually.
Additionally: If it's within the bounds of your game engine and design, you could equip the character with stones or something else that produces sound (or the ability to vocalize clicks) for navigation, like present-day echolocation practitioners do.
Disclaimer: I've been involved with the blind community but am not blind myself, so am just interpreting impressions of many people I've worked with.
You mentioned the time frame of the game as being ancient. So realistic prostheses and a literal white cane would not work, but it would be fair to include some visual indications, and maybe the choice you make could be tangentially worked into the character's backstory with one simple sentence or reference in the intro or some dialogue. Clouded irises would indicate some particular family of etiologies -- cataracts, scarring from injury, etc. For someone with anophthalmia, where the eyes never developed, you could render the eye orbits as concave with eyelids closed. And it seems reasonable to equip the character with a walking stick or branch for walking around. I guess my take is that you can make it clear that the design choice was thoughtful rather than lazy, without too much effort.
Tangetially: If it's an animated figure, you can consider if it would be reasonable to make something like a "resting animation" (if that's the term) where they might incline their head to a side or sway their body a little bit. That can be tricky because you don't want to embody a stereotype, but I think a faithful rendering of postural differences could be a nice departure from the usual representation, which is "blind person" = "sighted person minus eyes and plus cane, and that's it." For many blind folks it's not just a mannerism, but a way of gathering kinesthetic and auditory information about their environment that isn't available visually.
Additionally: If it's within the bounds of your game engine and design, you could equip the character with stones or something else that produces sound (or the ability to vocalize clicks) for navigation, like present-day echolocation practitioners do.
Disclaimer: I've been involved with the blind community but am not blind myself, so am just interpreting impressions of many people I've worked with.
MLPBaby [OP] 3 points 4y ago
Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! This is wonderful!!!
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We plan to disclose his blindness in the story arc, but using a walking stick or something along those lines is a great idea!
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The game is animated, though not much. I think incorporating some of those mannerisms is a wonderful idea as well. I'll bring up the echolocation aspect as it may add a new layer to the overall gameplay.
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Thanks so much for your comments and ideas!
​
We plan to disclose his blindness in the story arc, but using a walking stick or something along those lines is a great idea!
​
The game is animated, though not much. I think incorporating some of those mannerisms is a wonderful idea as well. I'll bring up the echolocation aspect as it may add a new layer to the overall gameplay.
​
Thanks so much for your comments and ideas!
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