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[lucked-out-mouse]

Hello! I have two questions, so I'll send two asks in case you want to answer them separately. First, a lot of your posts suggest writing multiple blind characters into your story to help avoid tokenism. However, when I try to write multiple blind characters, they always stand out or feel shoehorned in. Do you have any advice for writing multiple blind characters more "casually" so they don't feel as out of place?

Examples of How to Write Multiple Blind Characters Using The Owl House

Hello. Thank you for your questions! I actually started on this months ago and returned to it answering this question here.

I suspect this is what stops many writers, although they aren’t aware of it. This feeling of forcing representation is the result of society’s ableism and it can be difficult to recognize or deal with.

It might help to think about the reverse- isn’t it strange that so many characters in books and shows are abled? Isn’t it strange that so many disabled characters have no community?

When you write multiple blind characters, you are giving your blind character a community.

Another thing that might help is to show different characters having different conditions and different ways of dealing with their blindness. This is a technique I use all the time. You can even list all the blind characters and their characteristics so you can consider them all at once. For fun, we’ll use The Owl House. I feel that using all-ages examples might help writers feel comfortable engaging with the material.

The following will contain discussions of external and internalized ableism. It will also contain heavy spoilers for The Owl House up to the show’s finale.

Here is an example I came up with:

Main character, Luz, has a low vision in both eyes. She uses a cane for nighttime, mostly, but she feels like more of an outcast when she uses it at school, compared to the enthusiasm with which she used it and showed it to her classmates when she was a child. She stopped using a cane before entering high school. She packs it for camp just in case and uses it all the time on The Boiling Isles. There, she feels more comfortable using it every day. She is eventually able to use her cane and other assistive devices, whether magical or non-magical, whenever she needs to. Growing up, she struggled in school due to neurodivergence and not always getting her accommodations or maybe even struggling to ask for accommodations. She is happy to find that Eda and Hexside are able to accommodate her without making her feel othered. Although she has felt rejected in the past, she is able to fully embrace her blindness once more, celebrating a part of her in a way she was able to as a child. Also, she has several copies of The Good Witch Azura books in regular print, large print, and audiobook forms.

Eda, her mentor, had total enucleation in one eye and wears a prosthetic. How did she lose her eye? She doesn’t remember, now stop bugging her. Due to macular degeneration, her vision isn’t so good in the other eye and is decreasing over time. She doesn’t use a cane after struggling against her mother in childhood. She can use her Palisman or King as guides if she needs help. (King appointed himself her unofficial guide demon.) Her visually impaired partner, Raine, has gently and jokingly encouraged her to do what helps, including using assistive devices. After they started dating again, Eda feels comfortable using Raine as a guide, which also gives her an excuse to cozy up to them. Eda eventually comes to terms with her blindness much like her chronic illness. When she and Raine go on walks, she jokingly makes them carry things, stating if they want her to use a guide demon or a cane so bad, they can lend her a hand considering she only has one. She switches between the cane and guide depending on what suits her that day. Raine also supports her in her times of vulnerability. She can also have her phone or use spells to read, but reading is for nerds so she would rather have someone else read to her, such as her sister, Luz, Raine, or King.

Principal Bump is blind with residual vision and uses a guide Paliman to help him navigate and magnify things if he needs it. When he had Eda as a student, he was excited to help a student with similar experiences, but he quickly learned she was a troublemaker.

Willow is totally blind and uses a fluffy guide demon. She also has a cane decorated with flowering vines, which she enjoys using because she can have interesting tactile feedback. She was born blind and doesn’t struggle with her blindness beyond the occasional frustration with ableism or lack of accessibility. Her dads are very supportive and helpful. They sent her to Hexside hoping having a blind principal would assure she would get accommodations. She enjoys using magic with physical and textural elements, which is why she tried the magical school tracks she chose.

Gus is also blind with a bit of remaining vision. He enjoys looking at colors and lights. Gus chose to focus on illusions because they make interesting shapes and colors, providing his brain with a lot of sweet, sweet stimulation. Gus also enjoys that a track that is very visual is something he can excel at. He met Willow when complimenting her on how pretty her plants looked, describing to her what looked like a colorful blossom on a vine. He uses a cane to navigate, finding it more helpful for stairs and general independence even if canes aren’t quite as popular on the Boiling Isles as magically assisted options such as Palismans and guide demons. He also enjoys using something more similar to what humans use, as he is very interested in humans. He feels very comfortable with his blindness, finding a similar outlook in his friend Willow. Together, the two feel more understood. Willow and Gus pass Braille notes to each other in class. Gus prefers to have his spelled books or illusions read to him, though.

Amity deals with internalized ableism stemming from a need to be perfect, as well as many terrible implications from her parents that she doesn’t let on hurt her. She concentrates on not letting her disability stop her, as that’s what a Blight does. She has low vision, similar to Luz, and progressive vision loss. Unlike the other characters, she does not have much positive support. Principal Bump tries to encourage her to use the many aids and accommodations provided by the school, surprised that she knows the Boiling Isles equivalent of Braille, but only because her parents thought it would give their child an edge and because she attended the same early childhood classes as Willow. Amity politely rejects his help and goes on the be the top student just to prove a point to everyone (a.k.a her parents). She grows up being friends with other kids who say ableist things, leading to Amity feeling even more pressured to rely on her remaining vision. Eventually, her relationships with Luz and Willow help her to accept herself. She is able to act more authentically. This includes confronting her former friends, apologizing to the people she bullied, and attempting to use a cane at school. She is surprised to find that nothing really changes and a few people, including her siblings, even comment on her cane use positively. Willow also shows her how to get her phone to read to her, as well as use the spelled books you can buy that read out loud, which helps reduce eye strain. The similarities between her and Luz helps to strengthen their bond, but otherwise their relationship is unchanged from canon. Amity also has another troublesome barrier to asking Luz to Grom, such as how to make the note accessible. She ends up going with large print and high contrast ink. If she can read it, she knows Luz will be able to.

Hunter has an inherited retinal disorder, such as LCA or Stargardt disease. All of his predecessors have had a similar experience and Hunter takes pride in being part of that line. Each Golden Guard has decreased vision compared to the last, it seems. Hunter views his blindness as a part of him. His blindness allows him to adapt in ways others may not have a chance to explore. He becomes aware of advantages he has over the many sighted people he works with. He is known for his talent, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Hunter struggles with photophobia, which his mask helps with. For navigation, he has a cane, as well as his staff, which he prefers to adapt for navigating. It is about chest height and acts similarly to a WeWalk cane. He can use it to teleport and use magic, but it is mostly for identification and navigating if needed. Eventually, he considers switching to a guide demon like Willow’s, which can also offer companionship along with his new Palisman. Hunter can read the Boiling Isles equivalent of Braille, which he uses for labeling, personal note-keeping, and reading when his eyes are tired. He can keep working longer this way, although he does occasionally read or write for fun if he has a spare few minutes. Hunter also makes tactile maps.

There we go. I provided examples of several blind characters in the same place. Many of them know each other and maybe even meet because of their blindness. They all have different types of blindness and different experiences with their blindness, even when compared to characters who are on similar places on the blindness spectrum. I explored how they navigate, how they view their blindness, and ways in which they relate to others. Some struggle with internalized ableism, but not all of them. They have their own arcs related to their blindness, although they have the same arcs and interests as in canon.

Rather than seeing multiple blind characters as an obstacle, view it as an opportunity for characterization. For example, Amity’s experience with ableism is heavily rooted in how she was raised, in how her parents treated her blindness as a defect or something to be ignored. Meanwhile, Luz’s experience with ableism originated in childhood rejection. Compared to them, Willow, Gus, Principle Bump, and Hunter are all thriving. Even Eda is mostly cool with everything, only having a confusing and uncertain relationship with mobility aids. Additionally, Luz is able to let go of and unlearn her internalized ableism as soon as she finds people who accept her. Amity, in comparison, takes much longer to accept herself.

I know that some writers who aren’t blind may feel unequipped to write internalized ableism. It isn’t necessary, but instead something I thought fit Amity’s original character arc. Internalized ableism can be a lot more subtle than this or not feature in your story at all. Luz and Eda might struggle with this as well, but to a lesser degree. It would also be similar to their arcs in canon.

Here are additional character breakdowns because I thought they were fun:

Who uses Braille?

Willow, Hunter, and to some extent, Gus

Braille literacy is declining, so not everyone knows it in this A.U, which is similar to real life. However, I prefer to have at least some of my characters use Braille to push back against that.

Who uses audio to read, primarily or some of the time?

Gus, Amity, Luz, Eda

Who uses regular or large print?

Luz, Amity, Principal Bump

Who uses magnification?

Principal Bump and probably Luz in childhood

Who uses a cane?

Luz, Amity, Hunter, Willow, Eda

However, Luz, Amity, and Eda all struggled to get there to some degree. In real life, few blind people actually use canes despite possibly benefiting from them.

Who uses an animal guide?

Eda, Willow, and, later, Hunter

On the Boiling Isles, creatures participate in training schools and are matched with potential handlers. They are mostly given to adults, although some schools allow kids to apply, such as those in their upper teens. I have a post on guide animals here.

Who has some residual vision?

Luz, Eda, Bump, Gus, Amity, Hunter

Who is totally blind?

Willow

In real life, 85 to 90% of people who are blind have some residual vision, depending on what source you draw from. Most of the cast can still see something, even if only colors, light, and shadow.

I hope this helps. This is my first time sharing something like this. Readers, feel free to use this however you like, for stories or fan art.

-BlindBeta

#proud of this post #the owl house #someone please write or draw for this AU #i would die from happiness #in the breakdown I forgot that Amity also knows Braille even if she doesn’t use it #maybe she would one day #owl house au #owl house au!!!!

[lucked-out-mouse]

I have a blind main character in a fantasy setting. He was born blind (congenital cataracts), and due to the setting there is no widespread usage of accessibility options like guide animals or orientation and mobility training. Would a blind from birth character have less need for O&M training or guides to navigate effectively, because they’re used to navigating on their own?

Navigating Without O&M

This one is tricky for me. I think it might have to do with your phrasing at the end. It isn’t so much less need as it is them managing on their own out of necessity, which isn’t the same.

O&M would enhance what the character can do and how confident he is while doing it, especially when going to new places. Since you want him to be independent in this universe, I assume he has a cane. He can, in theory learn to use it on his own, as early cane users probably did, but think of O&M as passing on tools and knowledge gained in blind communities since the development of formal O&M training.

Is he the only blind character in the story? Surely there is an older blind person in the community who could give some tips? Surely he has family who can help him navigate the landmarks in his community? O&M is also learning to memorize and navigate routes used everyday, learning to navigate unfamiliar places, and traveling.

I suggest researching the developing of O&M, such with this page on the AFB, and trying to create something for your fantasy story. Even if your character is the only blind character in their region, there will be other blind people in the world making changes and experimenting. If someone came up with a cane, there will be other developments as well, even if they are slow. Even if the character prefers to use resources from their own culture and community. So even if a formal O&M isn’t available, it isn’t necessarily and all of nothing experience where the character does absolutely everything on his own with only his own knowledge to work with.

I hope this helps.

-BlindBeta

#accessibility #giving your blind character a community #writing multiple blind characters #writing blind characters #blind #schools for the blind #writing

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Hi! I saw your posts about how important it is to have multiple blind characters. So far, only one of my main characters is blind (she had an eye infection when she was a baby.) I also have an important side character who has low vision due to albinism. What would be some good ways to include more blind characters?

Including More Blind Characters in Your Story

Hi,

Sounds like you have two already.

I think this post would help. It has examples from an alternative universe I came up with that includes many blind characters and how they relate to each other.

Also, consider where your characters might meet other blind folks. At school? At university? Inquiring about accessible reading materials? Maybe they meet during orientation and mobility, an accessible cooking class, or at a party. Maybe they are introduced through mutual friends. Maybe the village gossip tells them about the other. Maybe they use magic to connect to other blind people in the areas.

Here are some posts o that might be helpful, one on writing multiple blind characters, one of which includes examples, and a helpful reblog about giving your blind characters a community.

Here is a post on whether multiple blind characters is unrealistic or not. Spoiler, it isn’t. But I hope this will help you in some way.

By having two characters, you’re already doing great in my opinion. Just focus on their characterization and development as people and you are golden!

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #writing more than one blind character #writing multiple blind characters #writing

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You can ignore this if need be but, do you have any resources in regards to writing a character with uneven vision? As in one eye sees prefectly fine, while the other still has some sight, but anything he sees out of it is so blurred that it's functionally useless for him. I'm unsure if this would function in the same way as monocular vision or would function in a different way, and most of the things I look up assume total blindness in the bad eye.

He would have a lot of the same experiences as those with monocular vision. I can’t say for sure what falls under the definition myself, or if his blurred vision could be corrected by glasses, but I’ll do my best to give suggestions for your actual question. He would still struggle with depth perception, aim, and reaching for objects. For example, people with monocular vision (whether their other eye is blind with residual vision or perfectly sighted) may have difficulty pouring into containers or using stairs.

He may also experience disorientation or fear of something hitting that side. Depending on how adjusted he is to his vision, crowds may not be entirely comfortable for him.

I think looking up information on monocular vision would be beneficial in this case.

Also, he might still enjoy looking at colors with his blurred vision.

I also wondered if that eye might get tired more easily, as using blurred vision involves more effort. This is common for blind people with residual vision, so it might apply here. While he isn’t blind, he may identify as visually impaired.

Hopefully someone will share their experiences in the notes!

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #monocular vision #blurred vision #writing

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Disability Aids: Where to buy

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about disability, sensory and mobility aids and where to buy one, so I’ve decided to just collect a global list of everywhere that I can find! I try and update this monthly. If there’s one you want me to add on or change, just say!

Links and information under the cut!

Updated: 12/10/2023

Keep reading

#resources #links #disability #disabled #mobility aids #disability aids #disability aid resources #accessibility #long post #reblog

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hi, this is like, a REALLY oddly specific question, but i wanted to ask. would it be seen as wrong if i were to have my character's guide dog be in some way magical?

for more context on the specific situation, my characters are in a world where basically nothing is without some level of magic to it. my character has a guide dog, but i felt like it didn't fit the theme to have just. a normal dog? because i wouldn't put a normal dog somewhere else. the dog isn't like, telepathic or able to fix her blindness, (ive made it VERY clear to myself that at no point will i do that) i was mostly thinking something like the dog having some sort of elemental component to it, which would be a pretty common power in this world.

I just wanted to make sure it fit in with the rest of the characters in its world, instead of sticking out as just kinda being shoved in with no worldbuilding around it. there wouldn't really be 'normal' animals normally, so it feels like underdeveloped worldbuilding if i don't.

I'm worried though, that this is going to be wrong in the way that it'd seem... glamorizing? that's not what i intend, but I don't want it to come off as something in that vein. if that makes sense.

i hope this is like. sensible to ask about and not wasting your time. thank you so much, and thank you in general for running this blog, i think it's a really great resource.

I think having a magical guide dog is fine. You aren’t using the magic to erase the handler’s disability, as you mentioned. As long as you are actively working on that, it seems fine to me.

As long as the animal can make a good guide, be trained from infancy, and can navigate well, it doesn’t matter if they are a magical creature.

I list some qualities a guide should have in this post if it helps.

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #creating guide animals #guide animals #reblog

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I keep seeing videos by other disabled people basically showing small things that cause accessibility issues for them, that might not be issues for others. Like drinking fountains or doorknobs that you have to turn. Just little accessibility issues that most people go about their day ignorant to.

And the comments are absolutely filled with people calling it a cry for attention, or bashing these- often very visibly disabled people- for "faking" their disabilities and "taking attention" from people who, quote, "actually need it".

Which is funny to me (sarcasm) because I just know that these people claiming that these creators are "overreacting" and neglecting "actual" disability issues are the same people who would turn their noses up or laugh at a disabled person if they every actually met them face to face.

"Oh I can't possibly conceive how this tiny machine could cause an issue for someone so you're clearly lying!"

"Just use it like this [insert action that physically hurts/is impossible for the person to do] and you won't have a 'problem' anymore."

It really isn't that hard to understand that just because something is accessible or easy to use for you does not mean that it is for everyone else. Can't believe it has to be said.

#disability #ableism #inaccessibility

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Would it be offensive to draw a blind characters with different colored pupils as a visual cue for their blindness? I don't want to perpetuate any harmful stereotypes, but I also want it to be clear that one of the characters in my webcomic is blind.

If this person has cataracts, infection of the cornea, or some other reason that one or both of their eyes are that way, that would probably be fine. However, not all blind people have eyes that look noticeably different without a reason as to why, even as cataracts are common causes of blindness. Contrary to popular belief, not all blind people have cloudy eyes.

I wonder if people are looking for cloudy eyes when they say we don’t look blind . . .

Generally, unless there is a reason your character would have noticeably different eyes, there is probably no need to draw them any differently.

You may instead enjoy finding other creative ways to show their blindness. Maybe they use a cane or other assistive devices. Maybe they use Braille or large print. Maybe they read regular print with frequent breaks and eye massaging.

Generally, ask yourself if you are making choices because they feel right or because there is a solid reason behind them. In this case, are you drawing a character with cataracts or did you unintentionally fall into the idea that blind people’s eyes just look different.

The point is that some blind people do have noticeably blind eyes due to discoloration or cloudiness. However, when drawing blind characters, consider why you are drawing them that way. Be intentional.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your comic!

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #cloudy eyes #drawing blind characters #reblog

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Hiii I was thinking of writing a magical cozy mystery (or just cozy mystery) featuring teenaged twins with the main character being blind. Didn't set out to create a premise like that, it kinda just happened, but I actually really like the idea and was wondering what your thoughts on it are

While I haven't checked these books out yet, there are lots of novels out there about blind detectives: https://www.aph.org/the-blind-detective-in-popular-culture/ Belgium has also hired blind police officers since before 2007 for their ability to distinguish & interpret sounds for wiretap info gathering

This sounds like a nice premise. I also feel that having twin detectives works well because the twins will already be well adjusted to anticipating and accommodating each other’s needs what with living together all of their lives.

This will be beneficial even if the character has been blind for a short time. Although from your description, it sounds like the main character has been blind for most of if not their entire life, giving them plenty of time to become inured to navigating the world as a blind person. If they were born blind or went blind as a young child, even better.

While popular fiction tends to favor characters going blind during the story, the longer the character is blind, the more adjusted they will be. A character who was blind for most of their life is going to skip a lot of typical angst and emotional and physical adjusting that frequently dominates narratives with blind characters.

Your character will already know how to live as a blind person. They seem to have experience as a detective at this point as well, even a teenaged one. Having a twin working with them is a bonus.

Also, remember that most blind people have some remaining vision. Your character could also be one of them. I say this not because your character needs vision in order to be a detective, but because they might still have some vision to draw on, such as for colors or light.

Additionally, your blind character could also be used to not relying on vision, whether because they don’t have much usable vision or because they were not expected to rely on residual vision growing up. If you go this route, your character could be used to navigating spaces differently or not be hindered in some ways the more sighted characters are, such as when navigating dark spaces or remembering maps/routes. Or, as you mentioned, relying on other senses such as hearing, increasing their ability to distinguish sounds.

I think this could work well for a cozy mystery even if you don’t add the magical element. Having your characters be teenage detectives also opens the audience to suspending their disbelief more, which will help them in being more open to learning about how your blind character navigates being a detective without ableist assumptions prompting some readers to dismiss it immediately. Unless they have read the other detective novels, of course.

I love the premise. I think as long as you can write a blind character well, the rest will follow. For example, do they use assistive devices and techniques? Do they use a navigation tool like a cane, a guide, or human guide/sighted guide? Do they interact with the blind community?

It seems as if you have read my blog and done research already, so you’re probably off to a good start. Good luck with your writing. I hope this helps.

#blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #ask #accessibility #blind detectives #reblog

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Hi, I was reading on cane types and cane customization from a few blind and other visually impaired people! However, I do not know if it was clear or not based on the information I was reading, is it okay or appropriate for a blind or visually impaired person to customize their cane? (Example: Putting puffy, tactile stickers on their cane, obviously not at the handle or the tip of the cane)

Yes, customization is fine. Canes do not need to be a specific color or style, so adding stickers is fine. I have added keychains to mine in the past. Small stickers would probably work as well. However, stickers are, to my knowledge, mostly made for flat surfaces. This means they are more likely to fall off, especially larger stickers that need to curve around the cane. My suggestion is small stickers or a light-weight keychain. If you want to write about someone being disappointed that they lost a sticker because it was too large and fell off, that would work as well.

I wonder if anyone has tried to glue a larger sticker to their cane if they had success with it.

#white canes #blind #blind characters #writing blind characters #cane customization #addendum on colours: #white cane with red stripes usually mean DeafBlind in the uk or so i've heard #DeafBlind uk folk please corroborate

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if your response to seeing posts of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah today is to spam those posts harassing them and calling that harassment “advocating for Palestine,” you’re antisemitic. spitting on our holidays and faith and culture and traditions and history while hiding behind a shield of “i’m just anti-zionist” is vile.

or, since antisemitism on its own apparently isn’t a problem for some of you, maybe this will work: harassing random Jews in the name of Palestine is actively harming Palestinians by giving the Israeli government genuine antisemitism they can use to try and justify their actions.

#antisemitism #hanukkah #jumblr #palestine #free palestine

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If you think:

- the Magen David (star of David) is a hate symbol

- the Shema (which begins with “Shema Yisrael” or “Hear, o Israel”), the primary Jewish declaration of its religious theology, is Zionist

- that using Hebrew makes someone “sus”

- that Jews that are visibly Jewish due to their jewelry or dress should just “stop wearing things that make it obvious” for their safety

- that it is acceptable to protest or threaten a Jewish synagogue, school, or community center. . .

You can keep your “Happy Hanukkahs” to yourself. They’re empty, meaningless, and frankly offensive.

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120,000 armenians are currently being driven from nagorno-karabakh, which they've called home for over 2,000 years, by azerbaijan. they are going to armenia, a small, poor country without international backing. please donate to the armenian food bank, a non-profit operating in yerevan that is providing incoming displaced persons with food, clothes, and hygienic goods. i personally know people involved and i can tell you that your money will be put to good use

#armenia #artsakh #nagorno-karabakh #azerbaijan #cw genocide

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humans forever will love funny little horses. love and peace and ponies runs in our blood

#mlp #mlp fim #my little pony #mlp twilight sparkle #cave paintings

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everyone celebrating india's mission to the moon's south pole i love you and im with you but this is NOT india's first accomplishment in space!! im seeing a lot of people saying that but its not true. some other things we've done:

confirm the presence of water and ice on the moon

was the first asian nation to reach mars orbit, and the first nation IN THE WORLD to reach it in it's maiden attempt

saved thousands of lives from cyclone phailin in 2013 over the four days, resulting in 45 deaths when without them, would have been in the thousands at minimum

launched the first successful flight using the indigenous cryogenic engine

successfully neutralized a satellite in space with an anti-satellite (mission shakti, anyone?)

launched 104 satellites with one (1) rocket

THE VIKAS ENGINE??? HELLO?? NAMBI NARAYANAN??? even if you didnt know him before, surely youve seen the movie rocketry?

not to mention everything we've done in coordination with other nations, and achievements from Indian scientists and astronauts that were then taken by other nations, usually during war. plus, we've always been much more cost efficient than our space-faring peer nations

all to say!! we've always been there, and we've always been strong. our mission now only proves that, and we should scream it loud and proud for any westerner who ignores us again

#isro #chandrayaan3 #chandrayaanlaunch #india #the tree speaks

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CHANDRAYAAN 3 MADE IT

#image described #moon landing #moon landing! #Chandrayaan-3 #isro #india #chandrayaan3

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Is anyone who is familiar with posting on Instagram willing to help me with posting on my account?

#instagram #reblog