Hi, I want to write a blind character (with only a residual central vision left) and I would like any input on how I write his son's relation with him, and how someone that's close to the character may act around him/to help him.
Hi! So it’s a good sign that you have an idea of what his vision capabilities looks like, and of course if you can get more specific with a condition that is very helpful, but that is only tangentially related to your question, just a side note!
As for specific ways of acting:
He likely will rely more on auditory cues. Announcing things that other people may not think to say aloud can be very common in domestic settings (ıe: “I’m in the kitchen” “Xyz is at the door”, etc) In my own home just verbally describing things is so commonplace that it barely even feels like something ‘extra’ — its a natural part of how my husband acts around me. Reading mail, cooking instructions, or other domestic “papers” aloud is also a way the son could help his father around the house.
Tactile cues can be equally as important, especially if your character is DeafBlind in any capacity. Touching shoulders, tapping the table, or otherwise signifying a presence can be helpful. You can get creative with these — what specific tactile rituals might the father and son develop together that reveal things about their culture, personality, etc?
If the father is older/has shaky hands, or otherwise might struggle with any personal grooming, would he want his son to help with that? For instance, I am not fully comfortable shaving by myself because I don’t want to cut myself. Note that this is not a given — plenty of blind people are capable of doing these things, it's just something to consider in character development and can provide a background for some emotional / bonding scenes.
Beyond what the son in specific does, there are considerations for the house itself that the son lives in and interacts with. I’m not sure if your work is from the son’s, father’s or both POVs but blind households may differ in a few ways.
Does the father have lights in the house or his room?
Bump dots! If he does use lights, or microwaves, machines, etc how might he mark them up to make them accessible to him?
Cooking tools like liquid level detectors, etc. There are plenty of these but looking around at shops like the Braille Superstore can give an idea of the types of tools that may be attractive to people who need them
Does he use braille or whatever equivalent a fantasy story may have if that’s your genre? If so, consider reading and writing materials, whether they are old school slate and stylus or a more advanced brailler machine.
Note that unless the family has recently moved to a new house or they have recently made interior changes or he is recently blinded, the father should be very comfortable navigating the space since it is his home he spends lots of time in. He likely would not use a cane in his own home, he would not frequently bump into major things like furniture, etc. However if the house is messy and there are hazards on the floor, or they got a new appliance, his vision got suddenly worse, or otherwise made an adjustment, then there is a greater chance of difficulties. Maybe he is more strict about cleanliness with his son so that’s another opportunity for developing their relationship.
This is barely just scratching the surface though. Feel free to follow up with more questions if desired. :)
