My mom was born blind and used college services to get a career started. She has shared that she had felt like a burden but I honestly cannot wrap my mind around it because she has been such a excellent mother to me and my sister. Depending on your interests and studies, the career services at your school might differ. My mom became a medical scribe and did that for years. Also you may have a blind education center in your city (or nearby) that can help you get experience and help.

Overall, please don’t feel like a burden. There isn’t a single human on this planet that doesn’t need help or some form of reliance on someone else (unless you’re some weird survivalist woodsmen who has figured out how to be 100% independent).

As a sighted person, I have what feels like a literal team of people (doctors, therapists, friends, family, repairmen, personal trainer, support groups, etc) that keep me going. I need them because I can’t do everything. No one in the modern world is truly independent. You shouldn’t be expected to do everything yourself. The help you need is just different and the help I need is different. I’m very glad you have a good relationship with your parents because that’s always a blessing.

Also, don’t compare yourself to your cousins. They didn’t have a life changing event. You did! Don’t compare your progress to anyone else’s timeline. Easier said than done though because you’re a young adult still figuring things out. Use the resources and relationships you have because you’re fortunate, then you can help the next person! I remind myself of that when I feel guilty needing so many people’s time and effort (thanks therapy lol).

Yes you can. The biggest difference I see between those who become successful blind adults and those who don’t is that those who don’t are either resistant to or don’t have access to good blindness skills training. Also, it’s ok to be depressed and feel bad about your situation. Just don’t stay there. Meet with other blind people, who have been where you are and have made it through. I suggest an organization like the National Federation of the Blind. Other blindness organization are ok too, I just see a lot more success stories coming out of people who associate with the NFB than I do other organizations. The National Organization of Blind Students is awesome.

I would suggest that you reach out to your state vocational rehabilitation agency or blind services devision. Every state receives a lot of money from the federal government to train and provide resources to those who are disabled to be able to find work. Not just a minimum wage job, you can receive blindness skills training like orientation and mobility, assistive technology, and Braille. Your state can then pay for you to continue on in college. I know several blind people who have gotten their PHD’s paid for out of Voc rehab. If you need help with this or get resistance from your state agency find someone who can act as an advocate to help you get the services you need to be personally independent.

You aren’t a loser. It’s perfectly fine to be blind if you have the right tools in your toolbox. Blindness doesn’t have to define your life long term.

When I was 19 and a sophomore in college, the ceiling turned pink. Turns out the school hadn’t decided to just repaint things pink; the blood vessels in my eyes started to hemorrhage and I was looking through pools of blood. The eye doctor at the local hospital told me I was going to go completely blind, would need to drop out of college, and would have to live with my parents for the rest of my life. He was an asshole. I ended up taking a semester off for medical leave to have a few surgeries, and then graduated with a BA in Music Theory. 8 surgeries later and I have some remaining vision (not that the amount of vision you have is a factor, I just like that the doctor ended up being wrong). Moral of the story, someone told me I was going to be and do nothing with my life, but I don’t do what people tell me. Go back to school to prove to yourself you can graduate if you want to. Earn a degree to prove to yourself you aren’t a burden (you are not a burden, I promise, but sometimes you are your toughest critic and have to prove things to yourself). And then get a job, possibly with the help of a Voc Rehab councilor. You’ve got this.

Yes, you can.

I lost mine at 19, and I was in very much the same frame of mind as you and Kylefornication who commented below. It's horrific at first exactly because it feels like you can never do anything or be anything. The reality is you can. You have to have a very problem solving attitude and it is a constant learning process to know all the ways to solve all the problems. You're never done figuring that out. But yes you can. I make more than the national average and there's nothing magic about me.

If you want to work remotely and have a stable well paying job I recommend court reporting school. Two years and they hire almost immediately after passing the tests

I was in the same boat as you, lost my vision at 19 and dropped out of university.

Go back to school, or get a job

Sure you can. Your college will have systems in place to assist you as a disabled student; they're required to by law. I'm not going to say it won't be harder because I don't like lying, but it's a lot easier than some of the horror stories I've heard from years ago. I'm still at home because I'm completing my LLM but I have job offers.

Give yourself some credit here. You're 20 and lost your vision, it's hard. It's hard to imagine a life where you can be successful. But you can. It might not be the life you had imagined. But it also could be better than you ever imagined.

My husband is blind (40yrs) and successful to me. He's a stay at home dad of 4 girls. He never even thought he wanted kids, let alone to be the dedicated 'raiser of children'.

But, the things he's learned and figured out how to do because he was open to learning and trying new things, even if that meant not succeeding in the first attempt. Are astounding to me.

Now aside from being a SAHD he's worked and held jobs without an issue. Yes it's been interesting finding him the right fit. An employer understanding enough to accommodate, but still holding you to standards can be hard to come by. This is where I encourage folks to

1) get in with your local blind and low vision group. Some have voc rehab grouped in and it can be very helpful.

2) volunteer. This will get you in the door in a TON of fields. Almost noone will turn away free help.

2b) You can also 'try before you buy' if you will, get a feel for positions capacities and companies.

2c) another great thing about volunteering is it's just a great resume booster.

2d) volunteering isn't a commitment, you're not forced to stay there. If you don't like the people, atmosphere, lack of accommodation etc. Bye.

All in all, I feel you have a great chance at being very productive. If the desire is there, you CAN achieve it.

I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!!

You can do anything that you put your mind to. It's gonna be hard and you're at a disadvantage, but the great thing about the human spirit is it's able to overcome any disadvantage. I believe in you