====== On yinrih blindness ======
[[./memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3679|Glenn]] wrote: [[./viewtopic.php?p=346958#p346958|////]]2025-10-14T10:46:22+00:00
I have tried to picture this setup, and I wanted to ask how the inner capsule and outer chassis are arranged: is the chassis flush with the capsule, or is there a space between the two that parents and doctors can fit into to access the capsule? I initially thought it was the former, but if the chassis is shielded again vacuum or water pressure, it seems as though it would likely be opaque, which would remove the advantage of making the inner capsule transparent if the chassis blocked direct access to it.
**Edit:**
This was actually meant for your response in the random ideas thread. I’ll leave this since it’s relevant and respond to the above when I’m not running on 4 hours of sleep.
Yinrih don't rely so heavily on vision compared to humans, so blindness isn't as debilitating. It's still a disability, but not as severe. I've mentioned that sighted yinrih use tactile writing to an extent, and haptic output is common, like the tailstone safe in the latest part of First Contact. Even a healthy yinrih probably has poorer acuity compared to a human. Not so much that they'd fail a human driver's test, and not so bad that reading print is hampered , but enough to make printed materials tend toward slightly larger sizes.
They also don't lose any social skills thanks to nonverbal communication relying more on odor. Body language still exists for immediate responses, which is where ear and whisker movement come in, but tone of voice can largely fill in the gaps. Eye contact may or may not be relevant, probably to some degree but not to the same level as humans.
Conversely, anosmia is socially crippling for yinrih but not so much for humans. Taillessness also presents mobility challenges as can be seen with Lightray.
Basically, disability is to some degree relative to the place and time one finds oneself in. I'm sure there were plenty of dyslexic vikings that did well for themselves.
{{tag>biology}}