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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2021 - 02 - 08 - ID#lfbd51
27
I miss being able to bond with my brother (self.Blind)
submitted by ahyespain
This might be off-topic, I don’t know exactly.
But I’m visually impaired, I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s when I was 10, and I’m nearing 15 now.
We used to bond over building LEGO sets when we were younger, but since my vision has been decreasing, I can’t do that anymore
We also used to play video games together, but now the split screen on some games is difficult for me to see, and I often have to stand close to the TV to see what’s going on
And there of course are other things we have in common, like reading and playing sports. But those again, require good vision when you’re with someone his age and with his personality.

I just miss bonding with him; and don’t get me wrong, I have it a lot better than a lot of other people who are blind and visually impaired. But it’s just the little things, yknow?

(Change flair if needed)
vwlsmssng 16 points 2y ago
Get a tandem bicycle and go cycling together. You will need to trust your brother with your life as he will have control of the brakes and steering and he will be trusting you to put the same amount of effort into the pedalling and balancing. You will both have to work hard together to get up the hills or make progress in a headwind.
MostlyBlindGamer 16 points 2y ago
Did you know there are $1?

Besides that, you can get PDFs of the instructions for any set. That's what I do. You can find them on their $1.

I know this won't solve all your problems and it might not even with for you, but I hope it helps.
ahyespain [OP] 5 points 2y ago
I didn’t, actually!! That is extremely helpful, thank you :)
MostlyBlindGamer 5 points 2y ago
Great!

I follow the instructions on a 32 inch screen. Otherwise I wouldn't be building so much.
AceaSpadesRocks 8 points 2y ago
Cheers. My mama has been totally blind my whole life. When I was younger, she found so many ways to bond together, even when it was difficult for her to enjoy the activity; she just enjoyed spending time with me, and seeing me smile. When I got older, it was my turn to find activities that we both could enjoy together.

Have you two ever tried playing a tabletop role playing game, like Dungeons and Dragons? The rules-by-the-book are pretty dense and not always accessible, but there are ways to play the game that are absolutely perfect for folks with low to no vision. It is, in my opinion, the ultimate game of imagination. If you two like certain story franchises, like Halo, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or absolutely anything else, then the game can be easily adapted to play in those universes. My mom loves to play this game with me.

If you ever want advice on how to play the game in an accessible way, feel free to reach out to me with a direct message. I teach people how to play, and it would be an honor to bring something new into your family’s life that can bring you closer together.
Myntrith 6 points 2y ago
It doesn't have to be D&D either. The FATE RPG is light on rules, compared to D&D, and it has an accessibility toolkit.

https://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-accessibility-toolkit/
CosmicBunny97 4 points 2y ago
I’m an only child but it’s still possible to build Lego sets, watch movies and whatnot if your brother is willing to be open-minded. I know this isn’t entirely the same, but I build Lego with my boyfriend.he’ll pull up the instructions for his reference and depending if we’re together or not, he’ll either hand me the piece and tell me what to do or I’ll find the piece with his guidance over video call. He also doesn’t mind watching audio described movies. We play D&D together too. I think it’s possible to bond with your brother, but both of you need to be open minded.
bjayernaeiy 3 points 2y ago
Ebooks or audiobooks for you
Do sports ment to be done together like rowing, tandem biking, or skiing
ahyespain [OP] 5 points 2y ago
Yeah! Before my vision started going, I read a lot, and so what I’ve been trying to do is recommend the books I read to him? and we can talk about them.
But he gets through books so quickly it’s difficult to know what he’s actually interested in; I might try and sit down with him and talk to him about what he likes
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
Or read an ebook together get yourself a e-copy and him not and just read even side by side. If I read faster this may be interesting.
Myntrith 3 points 2y ago
Came here to suggest this. Maybe you could listen to audiobooks together. Or you could listen to the same audiobook that he's reading, then have fun discussing it.
bdevel 3 points 2y ago
Music is fun.
HegemoneMilo 2 points 2y ago
Is he younger or older? Does he also regret the lost bonding time? Maybe you can figure it out together?
Linden_fall 1 points 2y ago
Hello, I hope you are doing well! I bond with my brother by playing board games and card games together. Usually we play some music in the background and just talk about our days or life or whatever while playing or waiting on each other’s turns and I have a lot of fun doing it. I recommend getting some visually impaired/blind friendly games. Uno has a brail and visually impaired version and there is also monopoly that is blind friendly as well. Dominoes, chess and checkers are other games that you can play too. $1 a site that goes into advice on setting up a place to play and talking about some of the games that are available. Hope this helps!
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