Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
3
↓
How possible is it to hide blindness? (self.Blind)
submitted by SpicyBeefwater
I have a scene in my novel where a completely blind character (who is a wanted criminal) is stuck on a train with friends (also wanted criminals) and two police officers. He does his best to blend in with other passengers, get to his seat, and not stand out as the specific blind criminal the police are after.
Is it possible to navigate an unfamiliar space with no other aids and just the help of a friend? Are there other measures the character would need to take, or maybe none at all?
Thanks!
Is it possible to navigate an unfamiliar space with no other aids and just the help of a friend? Are there other measures the character would need to take, or maybe none at all?
Thanks!
thewalruscandyman 8 points 1y ago
He can pretend to be drunk with his mates helping him.
Otherwise-Anxiety175 1 points 1y ago
Lol
Shadowwynd 7 points 1y ago
Where there is a a will, there's a way.
My mom worked as a nurse in a hospital. An old couple was a regular visitor to the hospital for various doctor appointments. The old man had gone completely blind and his wife didn't drive. They had been coming to the hospital for months before someone asked "how are you getting to the hospital?"
It turns out that the old man still had his license from when he was sighted, and he was driving to the hospital, blind. His wife was telling him what to do (go faster; go slower; right a bit; we're going to be turning left, so put on your blinker and start turning.... now!" They had been doing this for months and hadn't caused any wrecks yet. It was at the same time awe-inspiring and absolutely terrifying to the nursing staff.
I have seen people who are blind move through crowds very well just by guessing about the noise (works as long as it isn't hugely crowded), moreso if his friends can jingle coins in their pocket while they walk (or have a watch on a chain, or keys, etc) so that he can follow them / they can whisper instructions to him or drop them naturally in conversation.
My mom worked as a nurse in a hospital. An old couple was a regular visitor to the hospital for various doctor appointments. The old man had gone completely blind and his wife didn't drive. They had been coming to the hospital for months before someone asked "how are you getting to the hospital?"
It turns out that the old man still had his license from when he was sighted, and he was driving to the hospital, blind. His wife was telling him what to do (go faster; go slower; right a bit; we're going to be turning left, so put on your blinker and start turning.... now!" They had been doing this for months and hadn't caused any wrecks yet. It was at the same time awe-inspiring and absolutely terrifying to the nursing staff.
I have seen people who are blind move through crowds very well just by guessing about the noise (works as long as it isn't hugely crowded), moreso if his friends can jingle coins in their pocket while they walk (or have a watch on a chain, or keys, etc) so that he can follow them / they can whisper instructions to him or drop them naturally in conversation.
ginsenshi 1 points 1y ago
Wow that;s scary, Iwoulld gree with the nursing staff.
OldManOnFire 2 points 1y ago
A train aisle is narrow enough that everybody needs to walk through it single file. Just have the criminal in front tell a long joke or a story to the blind guy behind him. The blind guy only needs to follow the voice of his friend.
SpicyBeefwater [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Thanks! Also, how easy or difficult would navigating a moving train be overall? There’s plenty of time before the cops show up for him to take breaks, check out the dining car, etc.
OldManOnFire 2 points 1y ago
The floor is flat, the aisles are straight, the layout is predictable. A train, like most buildings, is pretty easy.
The *people* on the train are the hard part. They aren't predictable. They move around when we don't expect them to and they don't always move when we do expect them to.
I haven't been on a train since going blind but I've been on a few airplanes. The concerns are similar. The problem isn't the layout, it's the people.
Back to your first question: Most people have no idea I'm blind. I rarely use a cane, I hold my wife's hand when we walk. Since I don't drive the only times I go out are with her. We dance at the club holding hands. Our dogs aren't guide dogs, they're just hyperactive little derps. I use the self checkout stands at Walmart by rotating each item in front of the scanner until the bar code reader beeps. It's not hard to blend in.
The *people* on the train are the hard part. They aren't predictable. They move around when we don't expect them to and they don't always move when we do expect them to.
I haven't been on a train since going blind but I've been on a few airplanes. The concerns are similar. The problem isn't the layout, it's the people.
Back to your first question: Most people have no idea I'm blind. I rarely use a cane, I hold my wife's hand when we walk. Since I don't drive the only times I go out are with her. We dance at the club holding hands. Our dogs aren't guide dogs, they're just hyperactive little derps. I use the self checkout stands at Walmart by rotating each item in front of the scanner until the bar code reader beeps. It's not hard to blend in.
Shadowwynd 2 points 1y ago
Where there is a a will, there's a way.
My mom worked as a nurse in a hospital. An old couple was a regular visitor to the hospital for various doctor appointments. The old man had gone completely blind and his wife didn't drive. They had been coming to the hospital for months before someone asked "how are you getting to the hospital?"
It turns out that the old man still had his license from when he was sighted, and he was driving to the hospital, blind. His wife was telling him what to do (go faster; go slower; right a bit; we're going to be turning left, so put on your blinker and start turning.... now!" They had been doing this for months and hadn't caused any wrecks yet. It was at the same time awe-inspiring and absolutely terrifying to the nursing staff.
I have seen people who are blind move through crowds very well just by guessing about the noise (works as long as it isn't hugely crowded), moreso if his friends can jingle coins in their pocket while they walk (or have a watch on a chain, or keys, etc) so that he can follow them / they can whisper instructions to him or drop them naturally in conversation.
My mom worked as a nurse in a hospital. An old couple was a regular visitor to the hospital for various doctor appointments. The old man had gone completely blind and his wife didn't drive. They had been coming to the hospital for months before someone asked "how are you getting to the hospital?"
It turns out that the old man still had his license from when he was sighted, and he was driving to the hospital, blind. His wife was telling him what to do (go faster; go slower; right a bit; we're going to be turning left, so put on your blinker and start turning.... now!" They had been doing this for months and hadn't caused any wrecks yet. It was at the same time awe-inspiring and absolutely terrifying to the nursing staff.
I have seen people who are blind move through crowds very well just by guessing about the noise (works as long as it isn't hugely crowded), moreso if his friends can jingle coins in their pocket while they walk (or have a watch on a chain, or keys, etc) so that he can follow them / they can whisper instructions to him or drop them naturally in conversation.
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 1y ago
If I have sunglasses on, I can sit at a bar and have ten minute conversations with people who will have no idea, assuming nothing obviously revealing happens to come up. That said I could see fine until I was 19 and I have basically normal body language as a result, and I pride myself on that because I don't need any other reasons for people to think I'm weird. People who have never had sight are frankly unlikely to be able to pull that off, or they'd come off as a bit unusual.
Navigation with a friend is no problem, on your own is going to be hard as hell.
Navigation with a friend is no problem, on your own is going to be hard as hell.
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.