#partial blindness

There's a character in Warrior Cats named White-Eye because she was born with one blind, milky white eye (later renamed One-Eye after she lost her blind eye entirely to an injury).

I think this is ableist for a few reasons. One, it perpetuates the stereotype that blind people have cloudy eyes (I'm not saying that can't happen, I used to have an old dog whose eyes turned cloudy when she went blind, but I think it's not nearly as common as people seem to think and I also don't think people who are born blind have cloudy eyes, but correct me if I'm wrong).

Two, she's named for her disability, and unfortunately this isn't the only case of that happening. There are others including Deadfoot and Crookedjaw/star who are named for a disability or disfigurement, and Brightheart was briefly named Lostface after her face was mutilated in a dog attack. (It was acknowledged in-story how cruel the name Lostface was and it got changed to Brightheart later in the same book, and I'm at least glad they acknowledged that it was bad there. However I do believe it was pointed out in-book at least once how cruel Crookedjaw/star's name change was, but I don't think it was ever challenged and he kept the name his whole life)

I love Warrior Cats, but it definitely doesn't treat its disabled characters very well, sadly.

Like, one of the rules with how the miraculous work in my AU is blindness is fixed by giving the user the miraculous' animals vision. Like if a fully blind person used the mouse miraculous they'd have mouse vision.

Adrien in my AU I feel would prefer the middle or back row seats and I need him to have a reason to be in the front like in canon.

Also he wouldn't have completely cat vision, it'd just be kinda tinted cat in a way. Its not "Woah what the frick!? Why is everything so weird looking!?" Its more "Why is everything clearer? And tinted beige?"

1) One of my characters' eyesight had been degrading since they were young, and though they now take special antiobiotics and treatment to prevent further loss of vision, they're only able to perceive shadows, light, and colors (which largely depends on contrast and lighting of the surroundings). Their cane is their main mobility aid in day-to-day life, but when in combat, they use a device similar to the Focus from Horizon: Zero Dawn. Moving targets like enemies or allies are highlighted/outlined with bright colors to indicate where they are, the colors symbolizing who they are. The device is also capable of scanning text or objects and transcribing them in audio form through an earpiece. I've done my best to research how my character's device can be useful for their lifestyle, but not negate or make their blindness an easily bypassed part of their life, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

2) One of my characters has partial blindess caused by a serious injury to the left side of their face. Their injured eye can only perceive some light and shadow, which affects their depth perception quite a bit. Relying on only one eye has caused strain on their uninjured eye, so they have nearsightedness and need glasses to prevent further damage. This character felt more comfortable to write for me because I'm also nearsighted, although to a lesser degree than my character, and my glasses are mostly to protect my eyes from worsening. So far, I've used my own habits and experiences to describe my character's, but since they are partially blind (which they compensate for by memorizing or mapping out their surroundings, training and practice to determine actual distance, and guides (family and close friends)), my own experiences are hardly enough to make my character seem more realistic. I'd like to ask if there are any mistakes I've made with writing them?

For the first one, I suggest adapting already-existing technology, such as the OrCam MyEye or the Sunu Band. OrCam is worn on glasses and is a device that can already detect surroundings and read text. It can also tell you when someone you know is approaching, such as a neighbor whose face the device recognizes. I don’t know how accurate it is, but I find it helpful to acknowledge that some of these gadgets already exist for realism and accuracy. They are not made up devices that might hypothetically help blind people; they are real and usually invented by people in the blind community themselves.

You can explain that you modeled it after the OrCam or it could be a specialized version of it that includes other features. Color coded enemies and teammates also seems plausible considering OrCam’s recognition feature.

Here is a video demonstrating the OrCam My Eye Pro. You can also go to their website here or look them up on YouTube for more videos.

Please note that some of the features can be found elsewhere or replaced with techniques. For example, someone who folds or organizes their money a certain way or uses a money reader probably wouldn’t need the money identification part of the product. Certain people will like certain features more than others, which could also provide characterization.

While this product is not an option for everyone due to the price, it may be accessible in the scenario you described.

You can also avoid negating their blindness by showing how it impacts them in other ways. A few examples may include navigation techniques, lighting preferences, home layout, assistive devices used at home, how they choose to read (audiobooks, trying to find Braille books they like that are actually available), eye strain, sensory issues, stimulation seeking, interactions with the blind community, sports and activities, etc.

Glasses for protection and the other stuff you outlined sounds good to me.

I love that they use a cane during the day, but what about orientation and navigating uneven ground? I ask because the technology you plan to use during combat scenes wouldn’t help with locating uneven ground or steps.

Could they use the cane for navigating in combat?

While on the subject, a Sunu band might also be helpful. It detects objects at and above waist level. However, it is not a replacement for a cane.

As for your second character, eye strain and fatigue are absolutely going to happen as you described. Your character might sometimes cover their injured eye to reduce strain. They may also need more frequent breaks from use of their uninjured eye, such as when reading or doing desk work.

Taking breaks from screens helps. Managing lighting also helps, such as having enough light to avoid strain, although nothing too harsh. For migraines or eye pain, they might carry medication. At home, they can use hot or cold compresses in addition to eye masks to rest their eyes.

So far, what you have described sounds good. Your own experience should be useful in writing this character. However, I also suggest considering how they navigate stairs and uneven ground when walking. Another common obstacle that arises for people with no depth perception is accidentally dropping cups. To circumvent this, it is helpful to use high contrast, avoid glass, and/or intentionally set the cup on the counter before releasing it.

Lastly, I wanted to add that people with partial vision will often be expected or pressured to rely on it. This character might need to self-advocate, as they could still benefit from audio descriptions, screen-readers, and other assistive technology.

If anyone else has ideas, feel free to share in the notes.

eyelocket for chan

acrylic on paper, 20mm diameter - painting video below

Yamcha from Dragon Ball Z is blind in his right eye.

Support: Yamcha has a scar over his right eye.

(RWBY, White Rose, AU where Weiss is blind in one eye. I got the idea from a tweet and it took me over a week to write this but here, its done! Behind the cut as usual.)

Weiss still remembered the sharp, searing pain when the Arma Gigas' blade ran across her face, rendering a scar across her left eye and leaving that eye permanently blinded. How her family had admonished her for allowing such a crippling injury to mark her, leaving her in a state that she had to go to physical therapy up until she finally left Atlas for Beacon. Her mother insisted that if she wasn't going to cover that hideous scar, the least she could do was wear a contact to give the impression that her blinded eye was still functional. The last thing a Schnee heiress needed was to be pitied.