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Through The Eyes of a Blind Girl

Writer's picture: cheryldwannercheryldwanner

I didn't set out to write a disability representation novel.


I set out to write a love story through the eyes of a girl who happens to be blind. Even so, disability rep came to be a dynamic part of Jenny Ryan’s story, developing as the book unfolded, particularly through her blog entries and conversations with a young man she meets where she gets down to the nitty-gritty of living blind in a sighted world. How Jenny navigates her darkness with boldness, skill, and the aid of technology—along with her descriptions and perceptions given via senses other than sight—has captivated readers more than any other element of SEE ME AS I AM.

(Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring, Oregon, where Jenny trained with Alexis.)


Among the questions I’m frequently asked: Was it hard to write from a blind perspective?


No, not really. SEE ME AS I AM was long enough in the making for me to get comfortable in Jenny’s skin. Writing the world she “sees” through non-visual descriptions became so second nature that when I rebooted my back-burner DEAD RECKONING project, I was slammed with all these oh, wow, I can SEE! moments. That said, I truly loved writing from a blind perspective.

(Sandy River Valley and Mt. Hood. Jenny lives somewhere to the right of the river.)


SEE ME AS I AM barely scratches the surface of Jenny’s life and what she’s capable of. The technology available to the blind community, developing by leaps and bounds, made it impossible for me to keep up with it. I’d love to have included the Be My Eyes app for assistance in finding things, the OKO app for identifying traffic signals, and the electronic liquid level indicator (great for filling mugs and glasses). Unfortunately, these didn’t fit into the existing narrative or came into being after the book was in production.

(Portland, Oregon, where Jenny grew up and her dad still lives.)


Aided by tech, training, and personal support, people with disabilities can and do lead normal and fulfilling lives, and "dis" does not necessarily impede ability. As a blindness representation novel, I hope SEE ME AS I AM both enlightens and gives voice to a community that wishes to be seen for who they are and not how they're labeled.

(St. John's Bridge over the Willamette River into Forest Park, where Jenny's dad lives.)


Regardless of what I initially set out to write, Jenny's visual impairment shapes and defines the love she falls into and ultimately leads to her choice between forgiveness or walking away. Love is a choice—one we make every day.

(The Wildwood Trail through Portland's gigantic and undeveloped Forest Park.)


There's so much of Jenny's life I'd love to explore beyond the pages of SEE ME AS I AM. But her story wraps up so completely I don't have sufficient material for a second book—at least, not one that could compete with the original.

(Cedar Creek Lane in Sandy, Oregon, the road Jenny lives on.)


Perhaps though, I'll leak something short and fun onto my website that will give you a peek into her future...


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© 2023 by Cheryl Wanner.

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