My partner started losing his vision in his 30s and his feeling is that because of the technology available today there’s no need to learn braille. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be good to learn but given that your cell phone can read anything out to you that you need he didn’t feel it necessary to put the time into it.

It’s very likely part of it is denial, part of it is depression, part of it is the simple fact he doesn’t need to learn these things yet. If it’s a gradual decline as his vision changes he’s going to be put in a position where he has no choice as his vision below falls below a certain level.

That said one place I totally agree with you is that he should get some therapy to help him deal with the depression that is bound to be dogging his heels right now. Unfortunately he needs to be ready to accept the fact that this is happening and he may need some help getting through the emotional trauma involved.

I know you want to help and you want him to be prepared but it has to happen at his own pace which unfortunately is not the same pace you want things to happen. If you push him into it it’s just going to create tension in your relationship and that will do more harm than good. My feeling at this point is keep an eye out for cues that his vision is worsening and that he needs more assistance but let him set the pace. This is probably going to make him fiercely independent so you have to give him the opportunity to ask for help. It’s really no different than any other situation where you know somebody needs help but they’re not ready to accept it yet.

This is just my opinion, everybody’s experience is different. My boyfriend is a fiercely independent man and would be really pissed off if I started to try to push him in one direction or the other. He’s now using an identification cane because he’s finally realized it will help him out but he still takes the bus, he knows the light rail system better than I do. He has a high-end computer screen and still plays video games with his nose an inch away from it. He has a high-end computer screen and still plays video games with his nose an inch away from it. He only asks for assistance if he absolutely cannot do it himself and that includes learning his new phone. He drives me crazy but I respect his strength of will and his independence.

I went from normal sight to nothing overnight so I can't really advise, other than to say don't stress too much about braille. I only just started on it after twenty years, and I manage to make a living. It isn't essential.

I suggest and independent training center for the blind, to help him get ready. He will learn orientation and mobility using a white cane, how to read Braille, how to cook, clean house, locate and board a city bus, locate businesses using his new skills, and so much more. I went to the Louisiana Center for the Blind and it changed my life.

Once he is certified as 'disabled', the state will pay for his time as a student at one of the center. There is one in Ruston, LA, where I went, one in Colorado, and I can't remember where the other one is, but I think it's in the north east.


If you have any sight, or light perception, they will place you in a 'sleep shade' for the majority of the day and teach you how to be independent as a totally blind person. Truly life changing. The best decision I EVER made.

The blindness community has an unimployment rate greater than 70 percent, out of the people who are blind and work, 90 percent are Braille readers. Now, your partner is an adult and he knows how to read and write already, he will most likely not learn Braille.

Just throwing out NVDA as a free screen reader, since you mentioned finances seem tight.

There isn’t a need to learn Braille. Most blind people actually don’t know Braille. He can wear sunglasses and then on night shift when using his computer. He’ll eventually adjust. Let him be and live his life. He’ll figure it out. Just support him. Therapy helps apparently. Haven’t really gone yet myself but I should go because I’m driving everyone c r a z y

Just let him be. He will come around. The more you try to force help him, the more he will push back. Just be supportive with him. Men take longer to process denial I feel.

I also recommend going to a rehab center for 6 to 9 months so that he gets the training that he needs. he would learn how to use a screen reader that would enable him to continue working on the platform he is working right now. he would also be trained on how to use a cane to walk and on independent living skills to learn how to do things nonvisually; like cooking, cleaning, and more.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is to give someone the room to figure it out on their own, and other times, the best thing you can do is to give them a great big kick in the pants. You've gotten plenty of advice on the former, here are some thoughts on the latter. At some point, for the sake of your relationship, he's going to have to start pulling his own weight. One sided relationships are not known for their long term stability. Waiting until he needs the skills means that he is going to waste a year or more obtaining those skills, if he doesn't move on it now. Braille is one of those things that is difficult to understand for folks who haven't learned it, but the stats are pretty clear: those who learn braille get jobs, those who don't, don't. That's of course a simplification, but it's close enough.

Good luck. Having someone to give you a push when you need it can be a very valuable thing. Hopefully he realizes how lucky he is.

When I asked about learning Braille, I was told that I should wait until I completely lost my sight. I haven't been too worried about it yet, since I still have enough to read large text in very good lighting, but it will be something I'll look into when I lose more sight. I know computers will read pretty much everything these days, but it's always nice to have options.

I would definitely encourage him to keep up with the counsellor at Rehab Services, if nothing else.