Wife is about completely blind. Be proactive with text to speech features on computers and cell phones. The sooner she learns to get used to them the easier it will be if vision decreases. Apple has built in text to speech. Windows and macs have limited. Even Comcast new boxes can speak menus and stuff. Also get her a library card and start getting used to audiobooks. If she does not know it yet at least become familiar with Braille. I leaned to sight read it but labeling stove buttons or microwave is useful as they are mostly all flat touch buttons now. Become very used to being the driver and hopefully locate to a city with good bus system. There are places all over the us that can aid in going blind like teaching how to use a cane. The more you learn before hand the easier it becomes if it worsens.

What kind of ocular atrophy are we talking about?

I have retinitis pigmentosa (a rare form of retinal atrophy) and I'm losing vision since the day I was born. I'm now 23 and legally blind. My boyfriend and future husband is amazing about that, incredibly supportive. He takes care of me and always reassures me of how he loves me with my genetic condition and that he'll always be with me. It is a very scary situation and I have breakdowns quite often, and he's always there for me. Making her feel loved and safe and not afraid of you leaving her when her eyesight gets worse are all very important.

As for risk of transmission, it depends completely on what she has. RP can be autossomic (recessive or dominant) or linked to the X chromosome, each with a different associated risk of transmission to children. The first step is to find out what she has, then, if possible, do genetic testing to know which genes are involved in the condition (if any) and then do couple genetic testing to know the chances of you guys having a child with the condition. Keep in mind that if there is a genetic component in her condition there's always the possibility, however faint, that your children will have it as well. Be sure you both are prepared for that, emotionally and financially, before conceiving.

I guess just be there for her. Help her in any way you can. Read out things for her if she needs it, stuff like that. And I think you may be able to get genetic testing to see if her condition will be passed on. Blind people can also be parents too - though I don’t have any knowledge of this since I don’t have kids.

I’m sorry for the vague answer but it makes me happy to hear you’re willing to stick by her! I wish you two the best of luck.

> I love this girl, and if I were to start a family with her someday I’d also want to know if this is something that would be very likely to be inherited by our children. From what i’ve seen her condition is extremely rare, so would the chances be low?

You would 100% need to talk to a genetic specialist doctor about this.

Being legally Blind I use to worry about passing it on but my fiancé really helped me look at it through a different lens. She said hey you figured it out. If they end up with it you know what to do. That honestly helped me a bunch.

As to support having a sighted partner myself I can say the best thing is encouragement and try to help them maintain independence. There will be a time of transition. But thats ok. I am sure you will both figure it out together.

Might be a good idea to do genetic testing?
My uncle is practically blind from Choroidemia, whrongly diagnosed as RP.
My self i always had perfect eye sight until about 6 months ago, i’m 29 recently married living abroad and just found out I am pregnant.

Today I heard I might be carrying my uncle’s gene, which in women doesn’t cause much trouble but of course thres a risk if i’m a carrier it gets pssed on to our baby specially if it’s a boy.
I have done some blood genetic test to test specifically after that Gene. The doctor told me now there is lots of advanced gene therapy which could isolate the gene CHM and consider my next pregnancies to be through IVF to be safer. My head’s a mess, wish I knew all these before I got pregnant, so it’s all difficult to take in. Consider thinking about this earlier, I wish I had.

I'm with a blind girl. And first, as any of us, blind girls are all different and unique ;-). She will stay the same. So don't treat her differently. Of course some things will change, you should be more cautious of little things you'd never care before, as letting stuffs around, she would walk on it, breaking it and so on, shopping alone, watching movies alone (she'll often need you to explain her some details). But life will go on and you'll be happy and sad as others. At the end, I find that being blind, duff, or whatever, is not linked with being happy. It's people mind that brings joy or sadness. So keep positive mind and try to not look to her differently that you do today. No pity. No shame. You seems proud of her being your so, keep this pride ! It's the first step. The others you'll have to find it yourself, or together.
Take care mate.

the biggest difficulty i can think of will lie in assisting her in adjusting to being blind, when before this wasn't something she ever experienced. if she's unhappy and stressed out, it could be really hard to watch her go through that, but as long as you stay by her side and love her, the emotional part will be less stressful for the both of you as you both get used to what's going on. other areas that i can see as big difficulties are transportation, and employment. blind people can't drive, so she'll need to learn how to use the public transportation system where you live, and if where you live the public transportation isn't great, you may have to drive for her. i mention employment because for many blind people, finding a job can be difficult. it may be illegal to discriminate against the disabled, but employers still do so frustratingly often. this is another situation where you'll likely have to comfort her if its a place of stress for her, and its possible you may need to support her financially more often than is optimal. however, with the employment part, she may be lucky and not face problems in that area at all.