We do get a lot of questions like this and I know some people get annoyed, but I'd much rather take the time to respond as you're actually in the top few percent of people, at least you asked!

The thing is, it's kind of an amazingly broad question and so many of the answers depend on what your character is like personally. Here is the quick version as it applies to me.

I went blind at 19 so I never did school blind, but I did do college. Most people were great but you do have to lobby for what you need sometimes. I've been involved with younger people in their mid teens, and they and their parents have to really campaign to get stuff you'd think would be easy to do.

Left out, resentment? Well, there's a bunch of stuff I can't do, I'm never going to like it. Never left out deliberately though.

Dad is great, mom is not.

Don't do the face touching thing.

I am totally happy to talk more but it might help if we knew more about the character. Do it here or send me a message maybe?

My one input in terms of #4 is that for a lot of us, or at least for me, the disability is really just...very emotionally neutral most of the time. I don't think a disabled person usually sees their life as a series of story arcs. It's been a weird thing, because I'd like to write a blind/visually impaired character myself at some point but I just don't have much emotion for blindness. I don't know if any of that makes sense - I guess my point can be summed up as, "if you want to be realistic, your character should feel emotional about/struggle with things that have nothing to do with their disability as well as things related to their disability."

Just my two cents. I don't want to tell you what to do or how to write, but that's kind of the first thing that I always think about when I try to represent my disability in my writing.

Hi born totally blind here are my quick answers to your questions.

1. went to a public school for elementary school and high school. Since your character is in a fantasy novel, they probably would not use the mainly computer assisted technology stuff, but maybe you can have a Braille writing system equivalent? It took me like four years to learn all of Braille, and I had a teacher who would be constantly helping to translate the tests and even textbooks to Braille so I could read them and then type on my computer keyboard so the teacher could read back what I had written.

2. I often felt left out and a bit of a social outcast. A funny line I often use is: I had very respectful bullies, these three guys always bullied me for being a nerd who cosntantly liked reading, and not wanting to drink and get high with them, and not because I was blind. I have never had much of a dating life, but maybe part of that is social immaturity not knowing exactly want I wanted or who had a crush on me, and part of that is just not knowing how to share my feelings. I felt isolated sometimes when people would talk about comics or anime, but then I discovered podcasts, and of course as I said I've always been interested in reading.

3. role models: I've had several role models my first and primary one being my mom, someone always by my side encouraging me when I do well and telling me I can do better when I slack off. Then there are various members of the church community I know who have been good friends and spiritual mentours who see me as wise and kind. Then there's my Educational Assistant a kind industrious and funny woman who had helped me from grade 1 to grade 13, so we often catch up with each other ten years later.

4. things to watch for as you write: you don't have a blind character, you have a character whose blind which is to say "ok so theyre blind what else about them as a person" this is part of my personality but not what makes me who i am. write using all five senses, but a great writer would probably already be doing that. how i think about things: often instead of seeing the big picture, I build up all the details into one whole image. If i picture a tree: it has roots, then a lot of bark, then branches and leaves, then a trunk, then fruit of some sort. I am sure not all blind people see that way but I do.

I love that you are including a blind character in one of your books? I hope the writing process is successful!

I was born half blind and have been using braille all of my life.
One, schooling was horrible. I went to a public school and I couldn’t get the textbooks that I needed and actually flunked two math classes because I was so far behind due to a lack of resources. I have known people who have gone to schools for the blind but they aren’t very great either as most of them have low standards for academics. In fact, some of them are not even accredited. Hi school in general was a pretty lonely time.
Too, I felt left out a lot. Especially when people laughed at jokes that were visual because I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about and it made me feel sad because I didn’t understand it. I also really couldn’t enjoy things like zoos very much. I only had resentment one Time in my life majorly. That was when my cousin who is two weeks older than me got his first car. I felt like a loser because I couldn’t drive. It made me sad to think that I could never do something that he was doing. Other than that, I really don’t mind being blind because it’s all I’ve ever known. I get around just fine and have lots of fun and I’m doing a lot better now.
Three, my parents had mixed reactions. They always wanted me to be successful and independent. They always drove for me to do the best I could and everything, especially my education. But, they weren’t comfortable always with having a blind child and weren’t really sure how to show me how to do basic tasks like cooking and cleaning. In fact, my dad told me that he was ashamed when I walked out in public with my cane because it made people feel bad for me. I think now that I am independent and living on my own they see the error of their ways and realize that blind people can be successful, happy, and most importantly independent adults doing all the same tasks that their sighted counterparts do. It is hard to have a child with a disability, whatever that disability is. I think most parents, especially if it’s their first child, just don’t really know how to react to having a blind kid. They are unsure what to do or say. They’ve only seen stereotyped and caricatures for the most part of what blind people can be in so they’re not aware of the full potential. Over time, I think this really improves if you keep on showing them your independence. Sometimes that means a really hard break away but in the end it’s for
The best.
Four, this is a bit on the lighter side but I thought it would be important to include. For the most part, blind people do not touch peoples faces to see whether they are attractive. Just thought I would put that out there as it is a vicious rumor stereotype that will not go away and keeps persisting in popular culture! No, I do not want to touch a persons face! That is very uncomfortable for all involved!
On a more serious note, I had a hard time using my cane. I hated it. I saw it as a symbol of my “oppression “I was very averse to using it. I wanted to be seen as normal and to not be different from my peers. I think it interesting thing you could include in your book is the journey that your character has to undergo to be comfortable with themselves as a blind person. All blind people one is to fit in and be treated like everybody else.
Also, we do not see like regular people in our dreams if we were born blind. If a person loses their site later on, they will definitely see in color as they remember it from before.
Braille is really important. Braille is very costly. I have to pay hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars for books. Getting a braille tablet is a very big struggle and costs thousands and thousands of dollars. It is very costly.
Also, sometimes blind people aren’t aware of body language that might convey emotions. For example, I cannot tell if someone is smiling, crying, or yawning. A face just looks like a blank circle with two little hollow places where the Iser and a big lump that is a nose. I cannot see any detail at all.
The last thing that I will say is that every blind person’s experience is different. Some people will see more than I can and some people will see less. It is a very very wide spectrum. Also, some peoples vision fluctuates from day today and a lot of people have a hard time adjusting to vision loss. It is definitely a life altering experience but blind people are independent and successful and we are a very diverse and unique bunch.
Best of luck to you and your book!