Hello everyone, I found this little community earlier today and wanted to talk about what dating someone with a visual impairment has taught me. My girlfriend has congenital nystagmus and is legally blind. She has a good bit of her sight and for the most part is only hindered by her night blindness and poor depth perception. She is allowed to drive as long as she uses bioptics and goes to a driving school.
Her and I have been together now for almost 4 years, and when we met I had no clue what her condition was. I also wasn't aware that visual impairment went beyond just being blind. That it was more of a spectrum of different levels, not blind or not. This is in hindsight pretty ridiculous to me, because I wear glasses and I've always known some lenses are thicker than others. But besides that I never had imagined someone could be legally considered blind and still able to see.
This of course didn't bother me, and as our relationship progressed I learned more and more about how difficult it can be to have a visual impairment. I had initially figured that since she can see, it probably wasn't too difficult for her. Boy I was wrong. After some time we started living together and I was made aware of the struggles that come with this sort of thing. The biggest ones she faced being employment and VR.
My girlfriend wanted to work, she tried multiple times to find a place that was willing to accommodate her. In an interview at a Chipotle, the manager told her flat out that she was concerned my gf would mix up the spoons, or grab the wrong one. She wasnt hired. I couldn't believe it. She cooks just fine at home, all we have to do is put little stickers on the stove so she knows what is high, low etc. I was shocked that such simple accommodations seemed to be such a challenge for employers.
The next was VR, and I dont know what you all have experience but VR where we are is HORRIBLE. She's been juggled around to multiple representatives and had to assert herself many times to get things taken care of. I was so angry by the apparent lack of urgency when her bus pass ran out or money for her education was delayed. The representatives were always off daydreaming, ignoring emails, missing calls. She luckily has a strong connection to a foundation for blind children, and they do an amazing job of advocating for the people they represent. I cant even tell you how many times her VR counselor didnt send something or forgot about a request she made. They were unprofessional and unhelpful 9 times out of 10 and if it hadnt been for my gfs determination and the advocacy of the FBC I dont know how she would've gotten through college.
She's graduating this winter and hoping to go into marriage and family therapy. She's the kindest person I've ever met and she didn't let a screwy system stop her. She always advocated for herself. She sent the emails, made the calls, showed up at the downtown office. I admired her immensely for it. I went from never knowing this sort of thing went on to being essentially on the frontline of it. From VR being unresponsive and stranding her in the middle of town, to a professor telling her that her advocacy group is "a thorn in my side" and not willingly giving her powerpoints so she can see them, I saw her deal with all of it and did what I could to help.

I wanted to end off this massive post with a huge shout-out to all of you, whether you're totally blind or visually impaired. The things you guys put up with could make the average person give up, and those of you who continue to push for what you deserve as people are an inspiration. Never stop fighting for what you deserve, my girlfriend has shown me that adversity can only affect you if you let it. Don't let anybody make you feel like you aren't contributing or like you don't have a place in society. We all have something to offer, and I hope someday my girlfriend and I can help make more people aware of the kind of injustice the visually impaired community faces.