Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
5
↓
Help with a visually impaired MC (self.Blind)
submitted by Fantasy-Dragonfruit
This is hard. It's a topic I'm afraid to broach. But I need some help.
I'm looking for a visually impaired individual or individuals to help me on a project of mine. I'm currently writing a novel that concerns a visually impaired girl. Here's the rundown: she went completely blind at the age of six due to a magic curse and now, at 18, is living happily with her condition. It's an Egyptian curse so when she and her aunt travel to Egypt, after seeing an Oracle, she is blessed with the ability to see through other people's eyes when they hold her hand(s).
I know this sounds ridiculous, but I'm afraid to ask for help from this community. I don't want to offend anyone or make it seem like my character's blindness is a moot point, like it doesn't matter. But it is a part of her. I'm currently reading a novel about a blind girl that is really engaging "seeing" through her eyes. But it's in third person. I tend to write exclusively in first person.
I've reached out a little bit on the writing subreddits and have had a little help. I just want to know the perspective from this community and kindly, humbly ask for any advice and help.
I'm looking for a visually impaired individual or individuals to help me on a project of mine. I'm currently writing a novel that concerns a visually impaired girl. Here's the rundown: she went completely blind at the age of six due to a magic curse and now, at 18, is living happily with her condition. It's an Egyptian curse so when she and her aunt travel to Egypt, after seeing an Oracle, she is blessed with the ability to see through other people's eyes when they hold her hand(s).
I know this sounds ridiculous, but I'm afraid to ask for help from this community. I don't want to offend anyone or make it seem like my character's blindness is a moot point, like it doesn't matter. But it is a part of her. I'm currently reading a novel about a blind girl that is really engaging "seeing" through her eyes. But it's in third person. I tend to write exclusively in first person.
I've reached out a little bit on the writing subreddits and have had a little help. I just want to know the perspective from this community and kindly, humbly ask for any advice and help.
annibear 4 points 2y ago
Just going to forward this with reasonable people can disagree on this and I am probably not going to give you an answer you want to hear.
Eh, I know that you're emphasizing she's adapted and living happily, but you're still playing into old notions of blindness as a curse which goes all the way back to Tiresias. This goes *really* far back and is sort of a tired old trope that no doubt lingers in how sighted people treat blind people today (there's an $1 that touches on this). There's a lot of academic literature on this--blindness as metaphor comes to mind.
You also are, effectively, creating blindness that isn't blindness--she can see with a simple fix. It's not quite a miraculous cure, but it's close (you describe it as "blessed"). Again, it's an old trope.
Also, if you go blind at six and regain some form of sight at sixteen, you're going to seriously have issues interpreting it. It's not an on and off switch. You can't just regain sight and go live as a sighted person.
You're not offending me, but you are playing into thousand year old notions of blindness that have made some blind peoples' lives demonstrably more difficult.
Eh, I know that you're emphasizing she's adapted and living happily, but you're still playing into old notions of blindness as a curse which goes all the way back to Tiresias. This goes *really* far back and is sort of a tired old trope that no doubt lingers in how sighted people treat blind people today (there's an $1 that touches on this). There's a lot of academic literature on this--blindness as metaphor comes to mind.
You also are, effectively, creating blindness that isn't blindness--she can see with a simple fix. It's not quite a miraculous cure, but it's close (you describe it as "blessed"). Again, it's an old trope.
Also, if you go blind at six and regain some form of sight at sixteen, you're going to seriously have issues interpreting it. It's not an on and off switch. You can't just regain sight and go live as a sighted person.
You're not offending me, but you are playing into thousand year old notions of blindness that have made some blind peoples' lives demonstrably more difficult.
Fantasy-Dragonfruit [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for your comment. This is the type of feedback I am looking for, what I'm doing wrong, etc. And I'll definitely take a look at the article
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
Sure contact me or I can send you a pm willing to talk and be a source very well adjusted, capable, and pragmatic blind person.
OutWestTexas 1 points 2y ago
I think it is a very creative idea.
bradley22 1 points 2y ago
My advice is this: go for it!
Check out what people have to say but at the end of the day, it’s your life. Live it and do what you like :)
Check out what people have to say but at the end of the day, it’s your life. Live it and do what you like :)
ybs90012 -4 points 2y ago
Try to right nonfiction which will sell more and will help people understand the struggles of the blind community
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
What the fuck!!!!!!!
rory-games 1 points 2y ago
But that was not the author's goal when writing the story
bradley22 1 points 2y ago
Yeah, the author shouldn’t be made to help us, we should help us and if others do, great! If not, well; we’ve got this far.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.