Honestly, in my opinion I think it would be better to cosplay as Daredevil than Matt Murdock. We get one smooth. Cool superhero that we can easily cosplay as and that's pretty much it. 😆 I do however understand why you're picking Matt Murdock rather than Daredevil because it is more cost-effective and easier to do the costume. But you can do the costume without the white cane because he has had moments of not using the cane even in his civilian clothes. But the cane is a line. I think that should not be crossed if you are visual.

I think it's great that you wanna cosplay Matt in his civilian getup and definitely go for it! But yeah, skip the cane. Not only is a white cane a tool for us, it tells the public we are blind. By having one, you would be misrepresenting us as a community and a group of people with very specific needs, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to go down that road. I've seen cosplayers make fake canes that don't quite look like the real deal and are more clearly props and at least to me that seems to be okay.

I’m only half-blind (since 1985) and have been using a cane for less than a year.

I fear that people will see me, using my cane and my remaining vision and assume all cane users can do what I can. I especially fear that some of more idiotic drivers in my city will drive over a blind person…

Why do I call them idiotic? They wave at me to cross the street. I can see it, and ignore it because someone 100% blind can not see that someone in a car, with the glare of sunlight on the windshield is waving at them.

I personally feel weird about people cosplaying him in civilian mode - as without the stereotypical signs of blindness you are just a guy in a suit.

As others have said using a cane as a prop isn’t great in and of itself.

This is just my personal feelings on it though

I think cosplaying Daredevil is great. Cosplaying Matt Murdoch, also great. Either pretending to be blind, or using an actual white cane? Super not great. Because I have some remaining vision, I have had people at con’s assume my cane was a prop. Happily it was cleared up right away, and no one made a big deal of it. But I’d rather not have well-meaning cosplayers muddy the water further.

What I would suggest as a compromise, is a prop cane. A long, white dowel perhaps. Something that gives the suggestion of a white cane, so you’re not just a guy in a suit, but is also clearly a fake, a prop.

And whatever you do, don’t pretend to be blind. You WILL get it wrong, and be offensive. Also, in some places (it is here in Ontario, Canada), it’s actually illegal to carry a white stick and pretend to be blind (to prevent fraud). I can’t imagine anyone trying to get a cosplayer in legal trouble this way, but it’s worth knowing about. It’s also just an interesting factoid.

Thank you so much for asking our opinion.

As someone who uses a cane or guide dog to get around, it does leave a sour taste in my mouth to think other people use canes as a prop. Especially since Daredevil helped me become more comfortable with my cane.
Cosplay the Character, not the disability. At the end of the day disabled people are people first. It's best to focus on that.

Thanks for asking!

As others have said, I feel like using a white cane goes too far. A lot of people won't recognize the character and will just think you're blind. They'll react very differently, and you'd be misrepresenting us, because you'll inevitably do things and act in ways that blind folks can't. This could end up being disrespectful at best, dangerous at worst for all involved.

I'm about to go to Gen Con next week and I'll be bringing my cane. The con is big, crowded, and busy. I need people to understand what my cane is and why I have it so that I can be safe while there. If other people were walking around with white canes that didn't need them, mine would mean nothing and I could get hurt.

Make sure it’s obvious it’s a prop cane! Even if that means slapping a sticker that says prop. I cosplay at cons as chara’s who are blind and SO many people assume it’s a prop cane sobs.

Perhaps if you used a Cane, Keep it folded up. Not when people realize it’s part of your characters costume and not something you need because you’re blind. It might be a happy compromise. Let’s hear it folks

Go for it mate, have fun.