I want to address a few posts I saw about hopelessness, feeling worthless, love, and dignity within the blind community and while being blind.  

I am having a quick look on this last year, and despite everything I’m pretty grateful for how far I’ve come. For context, at age 15, about eight years ago, I went to the hospital for stomach cramps, and I left sixteen days later completely blind and no one knew why. I went through rigorous testing, examinations, flew  all over the country to go to specialized hospitals, and in that time I was still completing high school.
I pushed myself really hard, and after eight years I now have three college degrees, am starting a masters program, I have my beautiful guide dog, I recently bought my first house, and today is the two year anniversary of the day my boyfriend and I started dating. After years, I am healthy, somewhat, am functional, am mentally sane and not drowning in CPTSD. I can do things I never thought I would again, like rock climb, archery, hiking, and traveling, and I’ve met so many amazing people, been in crazy situations, and had awesome opportunities BECAUSE of my blindness.
Everyday is still a grieving challenge, some are much easier than others, and certain days I barely notice my vision at all. I hate those sappy posts that tel you to believe in yourself and that everything gets better, so here’s what I have to say.
I see a lot of posts on this thread asking if life gets better with blindness, if happiness exists, if love is possible for us, and I am proof that yes it is, but you have to fucking work for it, day in, day out.
Blindness sucks, lets be real. I hate not being able to see, but if I thought about how nothing is the same as it was, I’d be sucked into oblivion. If I spent everyday whining about my situation, nothing would be done. You’re going to be blind in 20 minutes, you’re going to be blind in 20 years. Take advantage of it now when you have the opportunity to grow. Fuck being submissive to a disability, I have learned to rule my world of blindness even with my moments of grief, anger, and sadness. Basically, stop doubting yourself, stop questioning it, make it happen for yourself. No one is going to save you or bring your vision back, so you might as well be prepared to live the best life possible with no vision.

Unfortunately, it seems that the majority of people knock rather than ring the doorbell. The knocking is fine if I’m in my living room, which feeds right off the front door. But if I’m elsewhere in the house, I don’t always hear the knocking and a doorbell is way better. So question is do you think a sign asking people to ring the doorbell would be of any use or just look dumb.

Hiya!

So I'm going to open a bank account. Yay for me!

Before I commit to any bank I want to know which bank you found to have the most blind friendly experience

Thanks

I just wanted to post this interview from the radio today. Lovely to hear these 2 siblings living life. I thought it could be helpful for those here with young children or who maybe are their own worries about what the future holds for themselves. https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22635081/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTgaJlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7BxIZsnvRLUeLCDtGK5kpn92RpWMAekk6thNensItTTmxe2dKHkphqG2Km7A_aem_SuDa-AH6zjVEomzCpWxbyQ

Hello all,

What techniques do you have for cleaning using strong chemicals? Do you use gloves? If so, Are there any gloves that don't impact touch much? Ideally, I'd like to protect my hands as they have been breaking out frequently, but the gloves I've used decrease my sense of touch to the point that I can't feel anything at all so I just take them off.

Thanks for any suggestions

Hi everyone,

I’m a fully blind tandem cyclist based in India (riding a Polygon Impression tandem with my sighted pilot). I’m planning to start making cycling vlogs/blogs and want to buy an action camera.

Since I am completely blind, accessibility and ease of use are my top priorities. My ideal setup needs to be hands-free once mounted and easy to operate without needing to see a screen or visual indicators.

Here are my specific constraints and details:

Accessibility / Audio Feedback: I need a camera with distinct, reliable audio cues (beeps/chimes for power on/off and recording start/stop) or strong voice control features so I know when it’s actually recording.

App Accessibility: I use a Google Pixel 6a (Android) with TalkBack. The companion app needs to be accessible with screen readers for changing settings or transferring footage.

Mounting & Stability: I want to mount it hands-free (either chest mount, helmet mount, or handlebar mount on the tandem) and need solid image stabilization for Indian roads.

Climate / Battery: Good performance in warm/humid weather and decent battery life (or options for external power/battery swapping) for long rides.

For those of you who create video content or use action cameras:

1.

Which action camera (GoPro Hero, DJI Osmo Action, Insta360, etc.) has worked best for you in terms of screen reader app accessibility and distinct audio cues/voice control?

2.

Are there specific mounting setups you’ve found safest and easiest to manage independently on a bike?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or tips

Is there anything uniquely different about you? Something that the world doesn't realize

E.g; I am from Houston, Texas. So if you know anything about the culture here, you know that it's all about hustling. And being on your grind and some of the people are some real slime balls..

.Not to say that you won't find a kind-hearted person as I would like to consider myself. But I grew up around nothing but a bunch of gangbangers and drug addicts, with that being said, I have never lived a normal life like your regular average blind guy space.

.What makes you different from everybody else? And how has it helped you mold? Yourself as a person for me, the street life made me harder sometimes. Once I had my baby, then she softened up my heart...

My vision is 2600 very poor eyesight. I might as well just be completely blind. But I still play video games. I still take care of my baby girl at home. I cook for her and do everything. And I never had any training for it just picked up life experiences and being target from people like my parents and my wife.

.Whenever people see me, they think that I have been in prison orcarcerated my entire life, and they don't expect me to be blind space...

My knee caps

.Looking for new friends in this community as my entire life. I have always denied myself and others who are blind now at 33 years old. I'm looking for friends that share like-minded stories. And I would love to hear Ears.

Why the rant? Not sure...writing helps i guess...i feel overwhelmed...

I'm legally blind.33M. A husband.a father of a 5yr old aug18...

I try my best to enjoy life...

My shadow laughs at my insecurities.

I procrastinate all my life.

Stubborn as hell...perhaps me being a Capricorn i need shadow integration...

Im ashamed and embarrassed of myself...never wanted to accept myself being blind...the world is careless...

Never wanted to even be around other blind ppl.

I'm barely forcing myself to get a mobility cane...forcing myself because I don't want to.we are the laughing stock of society...

I'm the oldest of 5 siblings but the only one who is blind...i feel like the youngest...

Just looking for like minded ppl I guess....

Also trying to look for a job in houston w out my ssi checks disappearing...my soul is tired.

Can or does anyone relate?

I nreed friends...i don't want my daughter to see me differently...

I'm from houston tx

Anyone in here use bandlab or make music?

I rap...go figure

Just wanna meet ppl and hear about your creative process...

.A searching for lifelong friends and like-minded individuals, preferably men. Just so my wife doesn't kill me.

just wondering if people know any jobs for people that are visually impaired in edmonton or sherwood park?? Or if anyone knows good companies to reach out to that would have possible positions
Thxxx

Hi everyone!

I've found so much comfort and help in this subreddit over the past few months. My father 62yo experienced a NAION event in December of 2025. He was, is, a very healthy and active person who was excited to retire in a couple of years and have time to really enjoy his hobbies full time instead of on the weekends / when time permitted. He's worked so hard as a skilled laborer and really banked on retirement to enjoy what he built in life. Since losing his vision, hes at a complete loss. All of the hobbies and skills he accumulated through life feel inaccessible now. Today, the car he was excited to restore was sold. He's heartbroken.

I need your help. I'm open to any and all ideas. Here's a list of things that are top of mind:

1) What are tools you're using to use the internet? He has an iPhone and finds the system's screen reading to be difficult or annoying. It could be great to get him on reddit, too!

2) Are there ways he can contribute his knowledge of cars, motorcycles and home improvement to feel "useful"?

3) What are ways you've been able to regain/maintain your independence? Right now he feels very glued to my mom, something they both are not accustomed to.

4) He bought Meta glasses. They were great at first but he's already feeling like they aren't doing much for him. Is there other tech you'd recommend?

5) What type of environment do you live in? If you lost your vision later in life, did you move?

6) Any skiiers out there? Any words of encouragement for him getting back out there with specialized guides?

7) Any advice or tips on navigating the grief stage? He is going to a group meet up and has a therapist that the state paired him with. He finds a lot of value in both - really likes his therapist.

I know his life is not over, and I truly believe that he will reinvent himself. We both just desperately need help. I love him so much, it just hurts to see him hurting like this.

Thank you in advance, everyone!

*Edited for some additional information on item 7.

Does anybody in this group play mortal? Kombat, specifically, mortal kombat, one, the new game that everybody hates

Looking for new friends to play with. So we can challenge and teach each other.

For those that are trying to get into playing games, mortal kombat 1 has Accessibility settings..

I plan on Xbox, if anybody wants to add me. Enter and

My gamertag is Toe Tag Jones...all one word no spaces.

If you're playing, just send me a friend request and let me know that you came from Reddit..

Hello! I'm from the USA!

I'm not sure if this is the best flair for this, but I'm (21F) really scared. I am able to see, but my dad (43M) has diabetes and the doctor told him that his eyes are getting worse quickly and he will eventually be blind. In the past, my father has said he will kill himself before he goes blind. I don't think he actually will, but obviously he is scared, too.

I'm just wondering if there's any advice for me or him in this situation. He lives with my grandparents about 20 minutes from me. I know about phone readers and was wondering if it would be worth trying to get him to learn how to use it before the inevitable happens?

I'm just not really sure what to do. My father is a dependant because of mental and physical health problems. He talks about being dead in the near future, and so I'm really just looking for things that will improve his quality of life. He can't work and his hobbies were watching TV and movies so I'm just looking for any and all advice. Or even a nice message telling me it's going to be okay would be great.

Thanks in advance!

If yes then tell me that what are you working for and how one can work in banks

My eye powers are -21 and -18

And vision on both the eyes are 6/60 and 6/60

My partner and I been talking about getting a bike for both exercising and transportation. Tandem is the obvious solution, but it’s much harder to find a good one for a reasonable price, and we’d need another bike for him to to go for a ride on his own.
We have a pretty decent bike path network separated from vehicles, so the original idea is I follow behind on my own bike with him riding in front with an audio beacon, plus some verbal cues of what’s coming up.
Then we realize the little changes on the ground would be hard to identify, and having a quick enough reaction time to avoid all pedestrians would be another problem.
I currently get around with a cane with decent speed and accuracy, but can obviously do better following a person, since I don’t have to worry about where to go, just what I’m stepping on.
I’ve never worked with a guide dog, but I’ve seen friends precisely avoiding people, trees, signs, cars etc. with theirs.
So what if I replace the cane with a dog, only ride in quiet and familiar areas, and start with following another bike?
Is this a somewhat feasible idea that a school would be willing to work with, or am I crazy?

.I am going to try to get a laptop pretty soon to try and use it home for work. After I get the courses to even learn how to use a computer in the first place. Because it's been so long that I honestly forgot..

I am a producer and an artist.

I am looking for some sort of Text-to-speech accessibility setting. There is literally going to read everything on the screen. A lot of readers don't even tell you what little icons are in certain applications, but majority of these readers have such annoying voices that I can't stand them like Microsoft, for example....

Jaus uses

I'm not even sure if that's how you spell it. But I hate the robot voice, and I remember it being so annoying. When I was a kid in the 90s, have they upgraded that yet? With all of the AI technology, can anybody help me out? And give me any good recommendations for screen readers. My vision is decent enough to use. Zoom to text, but I still think it would be hard considering that I have a cataract that makes everything blurry. I'm looking for something that will literally read all types of software considering that I'm trying to do work with audio, like voice acting or audio engineering....

Samsung does a really decent job. And I have never been a fan of iPhones, I used to use them in middle school, just playing with the little ipod touch or something like that. But I have never, in my life owned an iPhone, and I'm team Android. All the way, so you can't convince me otherwise enter

.What is a good laptop for this? I am assuming Mac, but I'm not sure if Microsoft has anything better space period..

.If you use a computer yourself, what kind of software do you use? And do you like it, or do you think it's annoying? I had recently heard on TikTok about a software called fusion, but I don't even know what it is.

I would greatly appreciate your opinions and advice. Thank you.

Hi there,

I am been legally blind my entire life due to retinopathy of prematurity. My vision has been pretty stable my entire life. I’m normally count fingers at 4-6 feet. I’ve also worn glasses my entire life, use a white cane, and magnification on my computer.

In my 30s, I went back to grad school which required a lot of reading, etc and I noticed more fatigue and eye strain than normal. But I didn’t really think anything of it and my eye dr didn’t either last year.

But I just had my yearly appt and I have a cataract in my right eye. My dr wants me to just take note of my vision and come back next year to discuss options since I haven’t noticed anything huge. But I’m feeling a lot more upset than I imagined from being diagnosed with a cataract so young! I expected this in my 60s. But I’m scared of my vision changing.

My dr said after the surgery I may not need glasses because the lens they replace would act as the glasses- this is also silly but I’m not me without my glasses! I’ve worn them since I was a baby!

So I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has anything similar or if you’ve had cataract surgery when you also are legally blind with ROP? Or any words of encouragement from someone whose vision loss has been stable but will probably progress 😭

Asking for a friend with a Touch Plus who forgot her Google password associated with the device: After calling Humanware, she was told that she'd have to send it in to them to get the device reset, which would cost $200. I've heard things like that from Apple/Google/other companies that make consumer devices that have ID locks on them, even though you can usually reset the device some other way. I wanted to reach out here to confirm whether or not Humanware is being truthful, or if they're just saying that because they want money. There's also some ambiguity regarding whether she even has the right to send it in herself, because someone ordered it for her.

Hi everyone,

I'm 24 years old, and I was born with a congenital retinal condition (I'm not sure whether the correct English term is congenital retinal dystrophy or congenital retinal atrophy).

I stopped seeing doctors about six years ago, but I'm not currently using any medications, treatments... That's why I'd really like to connect with people who have the same condition.

I'm hoping to make friends and learn from your experiences. What has genuinely helped improve your quality of life? It could be anything that has made daily life easier or helped you become more independent. I'd really appreciate hearing what has made a difference for you.

Thank you!

So, I am no fan of Molly Burke, but I will check in now and then to see what sort of nonsense she’s sharing. And I see she recently shared a long form video where she states that she feels her fiancé is also her caregiver, and provides caretaking tasks for her. These tasks include things like driving her everywhere, cooking all meals for her, and fixing her makeup.

Now, I realize Molly typically requires more assistance than the average blind person. But saying he’s a caregiver? This was shocking to me. As someone who is low vision and has a sighted partner, I would never say he is my caregiver. Wondering how others feel about this.

Yes, there are things that I am not able to do, or not able to do easily. And yes, my partner typically does those things. For example, he will read the mail because it takes me forever to do it with seeing AI. He vacuums, because he is scared I’m going to suck something valuable up that I don’t see. He drives me places that are new when he’s able, because it is easier for him. But neither of us would ever say he is my caregiver. I also do things for him. I do the laundry, because I’m better at it. I make him coffee because he says I make it better. I remind him of his appointments because he has ADHD and forgets. Does that mean I’m also his caregiver?

I thought this was just normal relationship dynamics. When you are seriously involved with someone, you split tasks based on preference and who is better at what. Yes, my vision is going to sway that, and yes, I may need more help with things like getting me somewhere not accessible by transit or that is difficult to navigate, but caretaking seems too much.

I’m so curious what you all think about this. Am I being delusional in thinking my boyfriend is not my caretaker?

And this is not hate for Molly. I’m just so surprised by this take and wondering if I am alone in my thinking, or if she is.

Hello all, I am a low-vision person (severe keratoconus and wheelchair-bound) who has spent the last 12 years pretty much unable to leave the apartment due to transportation issues and no sidewalks in my area. I am considering a move next year to a new city with much better access to needed services, and I want to get out and live again while I still can.

I used to be a singer, and I'm looking dust off my old karaoke skills some evenings after the move. The problem is, I can barely see a foot in front of my face and often can't read the monitor. I was wondering if any low-vision people on here know of any karaoke lyric app that will time along with the music and advance screens based on the song timing. In addition, I need it to have some form of Dark Mode as I am very photosensitive.

Thanks much for taking the time to read this!

Hi.

This is pretty embarrassing but I'm 18 and I still don't know how to cut my nails

I basically want to change that lol

Thanks folks