Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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I want my drivers license (self.Blind)
submitted by throwaway6978036
I’m 20 years old and I don’t have my license. I was born with a small cataract in my right eye and because of that, I’m technically legally blind. My vision beyond that is ok I suppose, I don’t need to wear my glasses all the time at least. When I was younger around 15-ish years ago, doctors told my mom that I might not be able to drive when I’m older. My mom took this as a definite and so that’s what I was told all through my life until recently. While everyone else I knew was getting their permits and licenses, I was disinterested in the whole matter because of what I’d been told from my mom. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to drive anyway, so at least I had an excuse. Because of this, I’ve always had to be driven by my parents or hitch rides with my friends.
This past year though, I’ve come to the realization that I can’t rely on them forever. My parents are getting up in years and eventually they won’t be here, as much as I hate to think about it. My friends aren’t able to drive me most of the time, especially because they live in other towns than I do. Not to mention I don’t like being a bother like that too much.
I also can’t rely on Uber everytime I go out of the house because the cost really racks up after awhile. Also public transportation isn’t really a thing here. For the past few months, my dad’s been giving me driving lessons at my request. Granted it’s only been on the long road/driveway to my house but it’s a start and I’m actually pretty good at it so far. I’ve done my research and apparently, in my state at least, you need like 20/30 or 20/40 vision to drive at least without glasses.
I went to the eye doctor last year before COVID hit and I took the normal vision test, but I can’t remember the results and I’m not sure if we have it stashed anywhere if the data was even given to us at all. I’m transferring to university in the fall, which is roughly an hour away from where I am now if I get accepted that is. We actually meant to go see a specialist I went to a lot when I was younger about getting my cataract removed, but then COVID happened and so we didn’t get to go. So at this point, I really don’t know where to go from here.
The whole situation stresses me the hell out and I don’t know what to do and it hurts to know that while everybody else was becoming mobile, I was left in the dust in that regard willingly because of an unproven statement when I was young when doctors had no idea how I would turn out, as my situation was unheard of at the time for them.
This past year though, I’ve come to the realization that I can’t rely on them forever. My parents are getting up in years and eventually they won’t be here, as much as I hate to think about it. My friends aren’t able to drive me most of the time, especially because they live in other towns than I do. Not to mention I don’t like being a bother like that too much.
I also can’t rely on Uber everytime I go out of the house because the cost really racks up after awhile. Also public transportation isn’t really a thing here. For the past few months, my dad’s been giving me driving lessons at my request. Granted it’s only been on the long road/driveway to my house but it’s a start and I’m actually pretty good at it so far. I’ve done my research and apparently, in my state at least, you need like 20/30 or 20/40 vision to drive at least without glasses.
I went to the eye doctor last year before COVID hit and I took the normal vision test, but I can’t remember the results and I’m not sure if we have it stashed anywhere if the data was even given to us at all. I’m transferring to university in the fall, which is roughly an hour away from where I am now if I get accepted that is. We actually meant to go see a specialist I went to a lot when I was younger about getting my cataract removed, but then COVID happened and so we didn’t get to go. So at this point, I really don’t know where to go from here.
The whole situation stresses me the hell out and I don’t know what to do and it hurts to know that while everybody else was becoming mobile, I was left in the dust in that regard willingly because of an unproven statement when I was young when doctors had no idea how I would turn out, as my situation was unheard of at the time for them.
80percentaccurate 8 points 2y ago
It sounds like you have a couple of things to figure out. Having a cataract in one eye alone wouldn’t prevent you from driving in any state (in the US that is). Legal blindness is 20/200 vision or worse in the better eye after correction. That means they are measuring your best eye with glasses on. Driving tests measure your vision with your glasses on too. They don’t care about weather your vision is corrected or uncorrected except that if it is corrected you need your glasses for driving. Many states have rules if your vision isn’t 20/20 with glasses on about where and when you can drive. It might be only daylight hours, or not on the interstate, but people who have less than 20/20 can sometimes get a license.
If you truly can’t get a license for one reason or another, you need to consider that when you go to school. You need to pick a college that does have public transportation nearby and an apartment with everything that you need where you can get to it on your own. A big part of not driving in the US is picking a place to live that suits your needs.
If you truly can’t get a license for one reason or another, you need to consider that when you go to school. You need to pick a college that does have public transportation nearby and an apartment with everything that you need where you can get to it on your own. A big part of not driving in the US is picking a place to live that suits your needs.
MostlyBlindGamer 3 points 2y ago
If you need to see a doctor, go see a doctor. They're still working. You might just have to wait longer for a surgery, if it's not an emergency.
If it turns out you can legally drive and your can do it safely, all the better! If you can't, at least you'll know for sure.
If it turns out you can legally drive and your can do it safely, all the better! If you can't, at least you'll know for sure.
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
Yeah, being able to drive must be so nice but yeah.... well hopefully you’ll get it sortted.
[deleted] 1 points 2y ago
[deleted]
blackberrybunny 1 points 2y ago
Is this really all about seeing a certain boy? Hmmmm? Maybe your parents have a really good reason they don't want this boy, nor his MOTHER, on their property. I know it's hard, so hard, when you have a crush and your parents refuse you. I'm really wanting to tease you a little about it, because I've been there.
I'm 52. Born legally blind. Have never been able to drive. Never will. I just have to live with it. I live very rurally and have to rely on rides from my husband and my mom. We have no taxis or busses here, not even Uber, because we are all so far in the country. So yeah, I TOTALLY get how you are feeling.
Call your eye doctor and ask them to mail you your info from your last visit. It's not a big deal, they can do this for you. Or ask them to have a nurse call you back and tell you what your visual acuity is.
Sounds like that boy has really made an impression on you. ;-P But you are so young, and you have so much life still to live. Don't get hung up on this one guy. You will never win, with your parents, that is. Let me tell you this one thing, based on my own bad decisions in my history: That boy is NOT worth the rift he will cause between you and your parents. NOT WORTH IT!! If your parents won't even let his MOM on your property, trust me, they have GOOD reasons for this and this situation will only cause you heartbreak.
Go to university and LOVE IT. Have a hell of a good time meeting new people and making new friends. College is going to be some of the best years of your life. trust me.
I'm 52. Born legally blind. Have never been able to drive. Never will. I just have to live with it. I live very rurally and have to rely on rides from my husband and my mom. We have no taxis or busses here, not even Uber, because we are all so far in the country. So yeah, I TOTALLY get how you are feeling.
Call your eye doctor and ask them to mail you your info from your last visit. It's not a big deal, they can do this for you. Or ask them to have a nurse call you back and tell you what your visual acuity is.
Sounds like that boy has really made an impression on you. ;-P But you are so young, and you have so much life still to live. Don't get hung up on this one guy. You will never win, with your parents, that is. Let me tell you this one thing, based on my own bad decisions in my history: That boy is NOT worth the rift he will cause between you and your parents. NOT WORTH IT!! If your parents won't even let his MOM on your property, trust me, they have GOOD reasons for this and this situation will only cause you heartbreak.
Go to university and LOVE IT. Have a hell of a good time meeting new people and making new friends. College is going to be some of the best years of your life. trust me.
throwaway6978036 [OP] 0 points 2y ago
Actually no, he’s just a friend of mine and my parents don’t want me to hang out with him because he’s autistic
ohnooooooooo0 1 points 2y ago
Wow, probably saddest thing I've read this week. I'm sorry but your parents are ignorant
BandedeMacaques 0 points 2y ago
The two states I've held a driver's license in had a 20/40 and 20/50 cut off with corrective lenses respectively. In ideal lighting, if I squint really hard, I can meet the criteria for one and....not the other. You can apply for a restricted drivers license but that seems like a pain in the ass so you can also just walk into the DMV, take a picture of the vision chart, and memorize it which is...totally...not...a thing i ever did >.>
Unpopular (but true) Opinion - you dont actually need to be able to read every street sign to drive a car. You just need to identify traffic lights, other cars, and people and know what stop signs are shaped like. If you can do that, you can drive. Cus like, I've realistically got 20/60 vision with my glasses on, had my license for almost 10 years and \*knock on wood\* I've never been in an accident that was my fault.
TLDR: I'm not telling you to cheat on a vision test, or claiming that I ever cheated on a vision test, but it's really easy to cheat on the vision test and depending on your eyesight, the consequences of doing so are nonexistent.
Unpopular (but true) Opinion - you dont actually need to be able to read every street sign to drive a car. You just need to identify traffic lights, other cars, and people and know what stop signs are shaped like. If you can do that, you can drive. Cus like, I've realistically got 20/60 vision with my glasses on, had my license for almost 10 years and \*knock on wood\* I've never been in an accident that was my fault.
TLDR: I'm not telling you to cheat on a vision test, or claiming that I ever cheated on a vision test, but it's really easy to cheat on the vision test and depending on your eyesight, the consequences of doing so are nonexistent.
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