Well, from a practical, long-term point of view, the thing that's probably going to effect both of you most is that she can't drive. If you live in a place with good public transit, that might not be a huge deal. But especially in North America, public transit is poor enough in most cities that it can make everything from shopping for groceries to getting a job much harder. There are, of course, ways around these problems, and it doesn't stop any blind person from living a happy, fulfilled life. But speaking from a "what will I notice most" point of view, that's probably going to be it.

The second thing to keep in mind is that it's going to be ten times harder for her to find work. Unemployment is, I would say, the largest issue effecting blind people right now. So counting on her to bring in half of your combined income is probably not reasonable.

However, those things aside, blind people can do pretty much anything we want. If she lives on her own, you can assume that she can do everything associated with that without a lot of help: cooking, cleaning, etc. If you move in together, the only changes in your life that you'll probably need to make is that you'll have to make sure and put things back where they go when you're done with them. Assuming you're even somewhat organized, you shouldn't have any trouble. But I have lived with some really messy people, so I feel like that shouldn't be taken for granted. The DVD cases a roommate left in the middle of the floor for some ungodly reason are the DVD cases I'm going to step on, and I'm not really interested in listening to any complaints about broken DVDS after the fact.

The best thing you can do is talk to her about your worries. Let her know your future plans, and discuss how she can be a part of them. If the relationship is going to work, you need to build it to the point where you can both be open and honest with each other, and where you don't feel weird asking her questions. Because it's communication that grows relationships in the first place.

I'm a sighted guy, and have been dating a blind woman for about six months. She's the best, and looking back, I would have really missed out on a lot if I had decided not to date her, just because she's blind. (I never considered not dating her because of her blindness.)

There are practical things to consider, of course. There are some experiences that you won't be able to share, and others that you can share with a little extra time or creativeness. But there are so many possible things to do in this world, that no person (whether sighted or blind) could ever do any significant fraction of them. So her blindness just pushes us in certain directions -- we focus on the things that we can share together.

I was surprised by how quick and easy it was to adapt to her blindness. It's a fact about her, like many other facts, and it isn't awkward or anything like that. It took a little time to get to know each other (and to build a little bit of trust), but once that happened she really came alive. She's confident and funny (sassy, really), and flirty and adventurous and out-going -- and introspective and sad, and all the usual things a person is. And she's also casual and easy-going about her blindness. It's really important that she never treats it like she's ashamed of it -- she just owns it, it's just a fact of her daily life. Sometimes it's relevant, such as when we're navigating a new place that is unfamiliar to us both (where she relies on me a bit for moving through crowds, etc.). Usually it's either not relevant, or is just one background fact among many others. Sometimes she gets sort of goofy and playful about it, which is adorable. I mean, it's a fact about her, not something to be ashamed of.

You should definitely be thoughtful and considerate, when getting to know her and when learning how to interact with her. Try to think of things from her perspective. At first it takes some mental effort, but soon it will become very natural. For example, generally don't move her stuff, especially not tools like a cane. If you have to move something, let her know quickly and casually, like "Hey, I put your backpack on the sofa." Also, I've developed the habit of making just a bit of noise, when I'm moving through the house, so that she knows where I am. That way, she doesn't start a conversation with an empty room, etc. Over time, she'll let you know how much of that kind of thing is needed / wanted. But again, it all becomes natural very quickly.

One super-important thing: If she uses a guide dog, absolutely follow her lead on what to do with the dog. There are plenty of articles out there on how to interact with guide dogs, and the number one rule is generally -- don't. Don't make eye contact, absolutely do not pet them, don't feed them, etc. I can't exaggerate how important this is. You wouldn't believe the stories I've heard from her, about inconsiderate and rude things that people have done with her guide dog. And even if you're dating her, that doesn't make you an exception, with respect to the guide dog. At some point she may tell you "Ok, now you can play with the pup" or some such (when the dog is out of harness / not working), but you should always take your cues from her about when and what is OK.

With just a little bit of effort, you can do some homework on the experiences of blind people, and maybe avoid a few things that are consistently annoying or awkward for blind folks. There are some excellent blogs and such out there. One of them is Fashioneyesta on YouTube. She mainly blogs about fashion, but she has also done a lot of videos on frustrations, guide dog etiquette, etc. Listen through the things she complains about, and you'll probably avoid a few common mistakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeWRBmmDqGA

Also, if you do decide to date this woman, consider that this relationship will unfold like any other. You'll get to know each other, maybe things will go great and maybe not. Maybe you spend the rest of your lives together, but maybe (like many, many relationships) it runs its course and ends at some point. There's nothing in there that is different, just because she's blind. If you get on great, I can almost guarantee that her blindness will be the last thing you're worried about. And if things don't go well, one or both of you will probably end the relationship, and -- shocker, here -- it will probably have very little to do with her blindness.

Best wishes.

I am a sighted woman, dating a blind man, so I can give some perspective from the other side. Like the other commenter said, the biggest issue is transportation. I live in a mid-sized city, so there are some public transportation options, but usually I am the one driving him everywhere. It's not a big inconvenience, but it sometimes does take a little extra planning, especially since we do not live together. You might be surprised at how independent visually-impaired people can be! My boyfriend frequently travels alone, can cook, and pretty much just lives like you or I do. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about dating someone who is visually impaired. :)