Separate but equal, and the idea of a Blind utopia
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Chrysalis
Chrysalis
Daughter of the stars
Thank you so much, Miss Misty. I’m glad that you love the idea. It’s something I’ve been sitting with for quite some time. And the wind chimes in the background of your audio message were beautiful. That small sound added something special to the moment, and I appreciated it more than you might realize. There is another element I realized I forgot to include in my earlier description of Evervale, and that concerns the town’s relationship with light. Over the years I’ve noticed that many sighted people seem to feel the need to flood a room with artificial lighting. Even when sunlight is streaming through the windows, or when the room is gently illuminated by natural daylight, additional lights are often switched on anyway. I’ve never quite understood that instinct. For example, my stepmother often turns on the kitchen light or the office light whenever she is doing something that involves her eyes, even when the room is already bright with sunlight. To me, natural light—especially sunlight—seems more than sufficient. It has warmth, softness, and a presence that artificial lighting rarely captures. Because of observations like this, Evervale approaches lighting very differently. Natural light is encouraged and respected whenever possible. Buildings are designed with large windows, thoughtful spacing, and architecture that allows sunlight and moonlight to move naturally through the rooms. Daylight becomes part of the life of the home rather than something that must be replaced by modern lighting. Artificial light does exist in Evervale, but it is chosen with intention and restraint. Instead of harsh modern lighting, the town favors warmer forms such as lanterns and Edison bulbs. These kinds of lights preserve a sense of atmosphere and connection to earlier times. Evervale is not a place that simply rushes forward into the future and abandons everything that came before. The people there understand that history carries wisdom. They keep the best parts of the past alive—not out of nostalgia, but out of respect for the lessons those traditions hold. They know that if we attempt to forget the past, we cannot truly grow or change. Lighting during festivals and gatherings may be more decorative—lanterns, strings of warm bulbs, or candles placed throughout the streets and gardens—but even then the goal is not brightness for its own sake. The goal is atmosphere, warmth, and a sense of shared presence. Another important feature of Evervale is its relationship with time. The town does not rely primarily on the Gregorian calendar that much of the modern world follows. Instead, the community lives by a lunar-solar calendar that reflects both the cycles of the moon and the turning of the seasons. Daily life and ceremonial occasions alike are guided by these rhythms of nature. Time itself is rarely displayed through digital clocks. Instead, it is marked through more traditional means—mechanical clocks, bells, chimes, and the quiet observation of the sun’s movement across the sky. The passing of time is something to be experienced rather than constantly measured. Color is also understood in a unique way within Evervale. The residents recognize that color is more than something perceived through sight. Like sound, fragrance, or energy, color carries its own vibration. It influences the mind and the emotional atmosphere of a place. In this town, people understand that one does not need to physically see a color in order to be affected by it. Color is experienced most deeply through the mind itself. A person may not see the color blue, yet still feel its calmness, its depth, or the psychological sense of openness it carries. In the same way that music can move someone without being seen, color can shape a person’s emotional landscape even when it is not visually perceived. Evervale therefore treats color as a form of atmosphere rather than merely a visual detail. Through design, storytelling, music, scent, and symbolism, colors are woven into the life of the town in ways that reach the mind and spirit as much as the eyes. In Evervale, the world is experienced through a harmony of senses and awareness. Light, sound, memory, history, and imagination all work together to shape the way its people live. It is a place where the past is honored, the present is lived with intention, and the deeper rhythms of life are never forgotten.
Mystic Miss Misty
Daughter of the stars
One thing that I forgot to add about the written media is that not not only we everything be in braille for the blind but it will also be in large print for the visually impaired as well. 
Daughter of the stars
Just to clarify, this town doesn’t exist yet, it’s simply an idea that I’ve had for a very long time. This is the town that’s going to be a part of my book series. It’s going to be it’s central theme. 
Daughter of the stars
Evervale is a small mountain town nestled somewhere in the hills of West Virginia, a place where the rhythm of life moves differently from the outside world. Surrounded by forests, ridgelines, and mist that settles in the valleys at dawn, the town feels almost suspended in time. Instead of highways and constant traffic, the sound most often heard in Evervale is the quiet roll of carriage wheels along stone roads or the distant whistle of a train moving through the mountains. Transportation within the town relies on horse-drawn carriages and a modest rail line that connects Evervale to nearby regions. This slower pace is not seen as an inconvenience but as an intentional choice, one that encourages reflection, conversation, and a sense of shared life within the community. The town itself is built around accessibility and thoughtful design. Every structure, from homes to shops to public buildings, is organized with the understanding that touch, sound, and spatial awareness are central ways people experience the world. Streets are laid out with tactile guidance along walkways, and the architecture emphasizes textures, materials, and acoustics that help people orient themselves naturally. Wind chimes, flowing water features, and the placement of gardens and stone pathways all serve as subtle landmarks that residents learn to recognize. At the center of Evervale stands the academy, an institution that functions as both a school and a cultural heart for the town. The academy’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that knowledge is not simply a matter of information but of wisdom, discipline, and creativity. Students are expected to cultivate intellectual depth alongside artistic expression. One of the defining requirements for graduation is the study of Latin. In Evervale, Latin is not treated as an archaic or purely academic language; instead, it is regarded as a bridge to philosophy, ethics, and historical thought. Through Latin, students engage with ideas about justice, governance, morality, and human nature. The language becomes a symbolic anchor for the community, representing the pursuit of wisdom and the careful preservation of knowledge. All written communication in Evervale exists in Braille. Newspapers, magazines, personal letters, public notices, and books are produced in tactile form so that information is fully accessible to everyone in the town. Reading is not seen as an isolated activity but as something woven into daily life. The printing houses of Evervale are considered places of quiet importance, where new volumes are produced and distributed throughout the community. Entertainment and storytelling also follow the principle of full inclusion. Films and television are always described in detail so that every scene, gesture, and visual element is translated into language. In this way, narratives are experienced not just visually but through richly crafted descriptions that become a form of storytelling in their own right. The arts hold a place of honor in Evervale’s culture. Music drifts through the streets during festivals and community gatherings. Dance halls and small theaters serve as places where people come together to share performances. Pottery studios, weaving rooms, and other craft workshops are scattered throughout the town, allowing residents to develop skill with their hands and imagination. Fiber arts—such as weaving, spinning, and embroidery—are particularly valued, both for their beauty and for the tactile understanding they encourage. Competitions within Evervale reflect these priorities. Where many towns might gather around athletic rivalries, Evervale celebrates contests of creativity and expression. Poetry recitals, storytelling tournaments, singing festivals, theatrical performances, and dance exhibitions draw crowds and lively discussion. These events are not treated as trivial pastimes but as serious cultural achievements. A well-told story or a moving song is considered just as worthy of admiration as any physical contest. Because of this emphasis, children growing up in Evervale are encouraged to discover their voices early. They learn how to shape language, rhythm, and movement into forms of expression that communicate feeling and meaning. Storytelling evenings are common, where elders and young people alike share tales drawn from history, imagination, or personal experience. In many ways, Evervale stands as a deliberate counterpoint to the outside world. It values reflection over speed, artistry over spectacle, and wisdom over noise. Life in the town moves slowly, but not out of stagnation; rather, the pace allows its residents to cultivate depth in everything they do. Knowledge, creativity, and community are not separate pursuits in Evervale. They are threads of the same tapestry, woven carefully together to form a place where people live not merely to move forward, but to understand, create, and remember.
Daughter of the stars
Mystic Miss Misty
Mystic Miss Misty
Mystic Miss Misty
Hornbeck
I wonder how much Jose Saramago's book Blindness applies to this topic. The idea of the blind city is no doubt no more than a thought experiment, but it is one he took to extremes.
Harmony Finder
Hornbeck
Hmm, interesting thought experiment! But a blind-only state would immediately isolate residents into interacting only with other blind residents. How blind would will need to be to live there, vote for public office, run for and hold such offices. Who are the people running things? Who's blind enough or possessing enough residual eye sight to help these those without vision? Right away you'd have inequality because no two people define blindness the same way. Spaces where the blind community gather away from the prying eyes of the light-dependend today can some times be a confort. Online spaces like Ramblio do not exist because FaceBook and other social media are not accessible. We are not say, on this app because we seek equality. Other social media interactions highlight human being's tendency to be visual. So we use things because they bring us confort, familiarity, and more. At least I do. That said, we do not let app creators and more off the hook on making things inaccessible. Make FaceBook feed read posts in some strange way that makes the blind experience not optimal, and we make our voices known. I'd not want to see a university founded by the blind and for the blind. The Deaf community and the blind community do not think of themselves in paralells. Deaf culture and so-called blind culture are hugely different from one another. We can't even agree if there is a blind culture. The blind state, if we could ever agree to peacefully there, would be utterly borring. I'd become a refugee in the first month of the state's founding. Would we have the same amenities, travel spots, infrastructure as the rest of the world? Would it be somewhere around Colorado, Texas, Vermont, or Oregon? What would the weather be like? Would I be able to drink coconut water on the beach there, or would I leave in a hurry for my prefered weather, political climate, creative scene, and the like. Anything white on the ground where I chose to live would have fine grains, and be near the ocean, not the cold, frozen thing that falls from the sky. That's one way I'd express my choices in finding somewhere else to move out of the blind state.
rebecca webb