Then maybe your parents should intervene. Either way he’ll grow up and feel bad about it or he won’t and your brother will be shitty his entire life. Maybe try telling him how that makes you feel.

Get your family to try a vision simulator that simulates your vision impairment. You can try them in apps, and you can also buy actual glasses that simulate vision impairments. He might be a bit more understanding if he learns the extent of your vision impairment.

At your age, there's not much you can do about him being a dick.

One thing to try: Pull your parents aside in private and make it clear that this really bothers you and you'd like their help to make it stop.

Unfortunately, as a partially sighted person myself I can tell you that this is something you'll deal with your whole life. Because you don't 'look' blind, people often stop being conscious of your issue. I've had my own mom for instance forget and get angry when I couldn't find something in the fridge and say, "What are you blind or something?'

To which I looked her in the eyes and said calmly, 'Yes. I'm blind.'

It was clear she had just kind of lost track of that fact because I'm sighted enough that it doesn't come up a lot.

I bet he is feeling embarrassed because people might look. This isn't a very mature response, but what's missing that could change things is that he doesn't know what else to feel. He could feel proud of you for adapting to low vision (which is pretty difficult!), embracing life, and not letting anything stop you.

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What I'm describing (pride vs. embarrassment) is actually a learned trait. You learn what society sees as normal, and that being not normal means you can be picked on. So you feel embarrassed if something is different. But you also learn about pride, strength, grit, character, and how to support family.

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This is a learning issue that usually parents address. Right now your parents don't get what's going on. They think, hey, brothers' picking on each other. Stop it.


But saying "stop it" doesn't teach or change the understanding or feelings behind your brother's behavior.

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I agree with /u/CloudyBeep. Have your whole family not only try the simulator, but also try to function for a day with it.

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Here's a great page that has actual vision simulator glasses for different low vision conditions.

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To be frank, 14 is the prime age for kids to be dicks to each other. Junior high and early high school are usually full of this kind of thing, unfortunately.

Every time he says something like "You don't have to hold the menu that close" just say something like "I didn't know you could see through my eyes too. Lamest superpower ever." or when he says "Look with your eyes" just go all wide eyed and then squint like you're looking hard, and say something like "Huh, seems like my eyes are a little defective."

But, I'm the kind that's always deflected mocking and crappy attitudes with humor.

How old is your brother? He sounds young from these comments. Try to help him understand by using something you can do that he cant, like reaching something high up. When he cant do it, say something like "how would you feel if I said 'yes you can, just try harder'? Mabe that would get the point across.

Your brother is an asshole.

Your brother is a bit of a dick, most of the stuff I can think of has already been said. You may be to young for them or not on a topic your particularly interested in but Brene Brown audio books have helped me in dealing with peoples shitty behaviour and how to deal with the shitty feelings around that.
IF its not something your interested in maybe get them for your mum she may not be stepping in because as others have said she sees it as boys will be boys, they really outline how deep those comments can cut someone.
I am sorry this is happening, my older sister was a dick too its not fun.

what a little jerk. I'd def bring it up to your parents- in a calm time when it didn't just happen, so they know it's something that bugs you- and give them examples. Unfortunately kids your age suck (no offence, but everyone is egocentric at that age and that's part of normal development and it's fine, most people grow out of it, but it still SUCKS when your entire peer group is more concerned about how THEY look then they are about other people's needs)

It’s worth trying to level with him. You have to deal with questions, and teasing from curious and unknowing people, all the time. Try to explain that it’s exhausting to also get it at home. I don’t know how old your brother is but hopefully he can understand that, if there’s anyone you don’t want to have to deal with that from, it’s your family.

Give him a knuckle sandwich!

Jk, but for real, he genuinely may not understand. The ideas that people here are suggesting to have them see things like you would help your fam understand a bit better.

Reddit is not a substitute for parenting, there is really nothing we can do here that your parents can't already do to deal with personal issues between you and your siblings. I didn't grow up visually impaired, but certainly had tussles with my brother growing up so I can sympathize, but the internet isn't really the place to tell on him. Brothers are generally dicks to each other, that's part of growing up.

My parents tell him off but he keeps doing it

While mocking someone for a disability is bad, I wouldn't really consider this mocking. He doesn't know how you see, so he is only using his imagination on how well you can see by using things he has observed that you do and depending upon how close you were holding the menu, he might have thought that was a bit close, even with your disability. I say "use your eyes" all the time to people when they can't find something. This isn't really mocking you, it is more of saying "it is right there in front of you". If it really bothers you, I would tell your parents.