I am VI and have other VI friends. Most of the people that I game with are VI. We like to play games like WOW and Minecraft together. I also find it nice because we can share stuff we have come across that makes life easier.

It's a little vague, what issues are you referring to ? It never really hurts to have blind friends to relate to, it's good to have non blind friends as well. Sometimes it can be a bit challenging depending on your interests and hobbies, but I'd say stick with it, we're all a little different.

Everybody should have peers. If you try to hang out with only blind people you will probably find that they don't also share your same interest in books, politics, beer, model trains, cooking, etc. You need more than one set of friends to cover all your interests and affiliations. Insular communities of narrow categories of people usually end up being gossipy, petty, boring and self involved even if they don't start out that way. Stay away from them!

I'm not visually impaired, but teach students who are. I've seen students who prefer not to socialize with other VI students, and those that form lasting friendships. Those with the friendships like having each other to commiserate with. So many of us don't understand the daily frustrations like not being able to drive or your Braillenote shutting down in the middle of a test. I've seen students become more comfortable and accepting when they realize others are going through similar situations, so I would recommend it. I'd also recommend seeking out more people with your eye condition, if possible. I have a couple students who get updates from foundations looking for a cure for their condition and they feel empowered and supported by being a part of that. Www.afb.org has some great resources. Good luck!

Edit: added AFB website

Could do with an answer here actually...