Hello! I'm a chick with a disease called optic nerve atrophy. Self explanatory - atrophy of the optic nerve. This must be a really difficult thing for your girlfriend...losing independence can be incredibly depressing. Some advice:
Get in contact with the vocational rehabilitation department in your city. They offer resources for school, jobs, low vision technology, and driving programs for the visually impaired (I just got my license at the age of 28). Also, don't underestimate the value of a support group - it's a weird, alienating feeling when you get a diagnosis like that. If you or your girlfriend have any questions or if she just wants to talk, feel free to PM me.

Hi OP! I don't know how much attention this post will receive so I thought I'd chime in. I'm sighted, like you, with a boyfriend (together 2 years) who has advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa. He is mostly blind, doesn't drive, etc.

He was diagnosed at age 5 but still went to undergrad and grad school for Psychology and Consumer Research. He got a job at age 24 and worked until late last year, where he was laid off. I think he was "laid off" as in....he wasn't super efficient but they used another excuse to let him go. He realized at that point that his vision was getting worse and it was the wrong field for him. Sucks because he has $30k in student loan debt, but I'm glad he's realizing it now until later.

We live together and right now he's living on $900ish a month in disability. It covers his half of rent/utilities (we found a place that's cheap but still niec). He went back to school for massage therapy, a field we both researched and decided would be great for him because it doesn't require his sight at all. He will be finished next summer and is really liking it. It's a field that has a lot of opportunities.....he can work in a hospital setting, spa, work from home, sports teams, etc.

I know it seems like the end of the world but it's NOT. We are still really happy. Yes, him being blind changes things and adds a bit more responsibility for me (I'm his taxi!) but I love him and of course it's worth it.

It's not for everyone. If you stay, you need to realize that you will always have to drive. You can't resent her for that. You'll have to help sometimes. If you have kids, you'll need to completely take over some of the responsibility you'd normally share with a spouse. If she's a good partner, then she will balance that out by completely taking over some responsibilities that she is able to do still.

PM me if you ever need advice. It's not always perfect, but no relationship is. Don't stay with her because you want to take care of her. Only stay if you love her.

Be supportive and not patronizing. Be encouraging and not pushy. Be patient but do not have low expectation. If she wants to, there are tons of careers out there for her, and if she wishes to, she will be more rather than less than when she has vision. I've know totally blind parents, they work, cook, bring up multiple kids, so it's not the end- just a new beginning.

Greetings OP,
I am a graduate of World Services for the Blind an organization that focuses in assisting individuals restore their life. Not only am I a graduate of the centers program but I am also a certified Instructor of Adaptive Technology for the Blind. I myself was born with a large array of visual conditions that have slowly crippled my vision. As is in the case of your girlfriend I was at school studying a career that absolutely requires good eyesight but do to my condition slowly progressing I have had to change my plans. If you wish I can put you in contact with World Services for the Blind in Litle Rock, AR, USA. In addition I could suggest some technology that might assist your girlfriend continue being able to work or go to school. The fact of the matter is that with today's technology eyesight is a minor issue if you know how to bypass it. Feel free to PM me if you need anything.

As to what you can expect that depends on the attitude of your girlfriend. As a professional in the world of the low vision and blind I can tell you that a lot of success has to be with the attitude of the individual being affected and the attitude of those around the affected individual. The first thing and it is the hardest is to accept the condition. I speak out of personal experience when I say that it is difficult to accept such a change. The journey into the darkness of blindness is sometimes not an easy one. What helped me and those around me was the level of trust we had in each other. I will say that I went through some low points and I am still not a total blind individual but I used to be able to manipulate very small items like jewelry crafting and not being able to do the things I enjoyed hit me hard. My attitude changed when I dear friend of mine who was going through a similar condition challenged me to do the impossible. I accepted the truth is she was going through a worse situation but she pushed me back into the side of things were I acquired an outgoing outlook on things. This had the side effect of me now being able to help her come with me.

If your girlfriend goes total blind then she will not be able to do some things at this point in her life but technology development will allow her to drive, and do normal things in a few years. It all boils down to do you have a good attitude and do you dare do an impossible task and that is be a person that just happens to have the symptems of an eye condition. To not let your condition define you but you define your condition.

What was the career she was interested in? Sometimes people think that you can't do a specific career but in reality it can be done with adaptations. Or there may be a related career to her major that could still work. As to the comment about being her taxi, there's certainly some truth in that, though if you're in a big enough city, public transit, Uber, or rideshare are also options. If you let us know what city you're in, we may be able to suggest specific resources. There may be a n$1 chapter near by, or other groups. And of course you can ask other questions here. She'll likely need some training or guidance on how to do some things without sight, such as cooking or using a computer, but it's all possible. Hope this helps a bit.