Hello there. As mentioned in the title, I am writing a fantasy book and the story revolves around a (possibly) blind character. I have done some research and talked to a visibly impaired friend to gain some perspective on the matter and I am still not set on the idea. If I do end up taking the leap I have to do it right. So I figured I'd come here for some first-hand advice. Here is some context:


The world is a fantastical place full of magic. It's an anachronistic medieval setting, a place way more advanced than, let's say, Tolkien's Middle Earth but still a far cry from a modern society. Despite the fantasy element I try to tell realistic stories set in it and to portray characters that could be found in our own world. Disabilities, physical as well as mental, are commonplace in that world, especially after a devastating war that took place months before the start of the story.

​

Apart from the five big senses, there is also a sith one in my world that is at play a lot in the story. Besides sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch all living creatures also see the magic that exists inside every other living being and in every lifeless object. That sense is deeply tied into the very existence of life itself and I am not using it as a way to dull or negate my character's blindness. To explain that sense a little it looks like the world is covered in mist. Like everything is made of cardboard, the world is populated by mannequins and everything is the same color. Empty lifeless shapes. That in combination with the rest of a person's senses breathes new life into the world and while it's still a far cry from being able to see, even 100% blind people can walk around without the need of a can or a guard dog (they still make life a lot easier though). That sense is also different from person to person and it fluctuates, depending on a lot of variables that affect it, the weather for example.

​

Finally, Rose, the protagonist in question, is not human. She looks human and acts human but her physiology is anything but. Rose is an Angel, a race of winged immortal beings of unmatched strength that went almost completely extinct after a thousand-year war with their earth counterparts, the Demons. The last few that remained underwent mutations and changes in their physiology. Their wings withered and died, their hair and eyes changed into all kinds of unnatural colors and their strength began to degenerate until they lost their immortality. The loss of sight was one of the said changes for Rose.

​

Now that I'm through with the setting, I want to talk about my character. Rose is a homicide detective for the police and, despite her disability, she is a damned good one too. She has some gifts thanks to her unique, even for an Angel, physiology like enhanced senses (she had them prior to her blindness and they aren't better by a large margin compared to an average human) and a very good memory. Her blindness is absolute, if her eyes were popped out of their sockets nothing would change for her sight. Despite that, her eyes are still very active, as if she could see. She rolls them, she blinks and they turn when she turns.

​

Things I keep in mind while building her and writing her story:


Blindness is only an aspect of her character and she can work in the story, whether she is blind or not.

She is independent. She has a house and can lead a life not much different than that of a sighted person.

She doesn't "see" people by touching them. She does it a couple of times in her story but only with her love interest and a very close friend.

She is not Daredevil. Despite being able to hold her own in a fight, thanks to her sixth sense and her military background, she is at a disadvantage all throughout it and actually has her butt handed to her during a fight in the story.

She wears sunglasses throughout her day, rarely taking them off. Not because of her blindness but because her pupils are blood red. People with unnatural eyes are not welcome at all in most societies since they are associated with monsters (that are very real and an actual issue in my world).

Her eyes used to be luminescent but lost their light as Rose's body degenerated. That had nothing to do with her blindness and it would happen either way.

She is not bullied or otherwise mistreated due to her blindness. She is bullied and mistreated throughout her story but that's mostly due to her position as a policewoman and her toxic personality.

She is depressed and used to be suicidal. She is a bad and untrustworthy person but, again, that's 100% due to her personality and she would be the same way whether she is blind or not.

Her blindness came gradually over a few months and she has made a certain peace with her new life. She had a few years to adapt prior to the start of the story and while her mental health was heavily affected by her loss of sight she never let it define her as a person.

Finally, she has little regard for her outside appearance. Her girlfriend takes care of her appearance for her, combing her hair, buying her clothes, etc. That's because Rose is depressed and self-destructive, plus her girlfriend very much enjoys glamming her up.

​

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated and sorry you had to read all that to reach here :P