I was born visually impaired so I can't comment on what it's like lose vision later but I can touch on this point:

>The second bit she's having trouble with is maintaining independence. She's 64 with a sound mind and otherwise physically able. She's not able to drive anymore and is having a lot of really unfortunate issues using things like Uber and Lyft. She can see well enough to order a ride and put the destination in correctly most of the time, but she frequently has issues with drivers not being available, causing her to have to wait outside in poor weather for up to an hour at a time waiting for a short ride. She also has issues with drivers generally not realizing she has a disability. She doesn't have anything that drivers can see to show she's visually impaired. Frequently drivers will not answer their phone and sit somewhere nearby and then cancel the ride because she couldn't find them. How have people on this sub dealt with transportation after losing the ability to drive?

I believe you can get a cane that signifies that you're visually impaired even if you don't necessarily have to rely on it all the time. If it's an issue of her not being able to find the car, I'd suggest that she call the driver while they're on their way to let them know to look out for her.


Out of curiosity, is she located near a major city? If not, is relocation out of the question? Most of my transportation woes are remedied by the fact that I live in a city with a lot of walkability and public transit. I do use Uber and Lyft somewhat frequently as well. Sometimes, I do hit availability issues and/or surge pricing but I don't usually have to wait longer than 10 minutes. It can be really hit or miss though. Both companies are honestly garbage.


Depending on where she's located, she might have access to paratransit and things like that as well. I would really suggest that she get in touch with her local Commission for the Blind. They can elaborate more on local transportation options in your area and can help her develop skills that assist with independent living.


It really is unfortunate that public transit is so bad in the United States. It's subpar everywhere in the US honestly, even bigger metro areas.

Not that this solves the problem, but is one of you reporting drivers when they don't communicate? I regularly use Uber whenever I visit a city that has it, and have always been able to send a text or make a call. I recognize that this is not how things work in your area, but it is a reasonable expectation.

Your mom needs to get an identification cane. There are should be an organization in your area that is set up to help folks who are losing their vision. Depending on the size of the city in which you live there may be public transportation options for people with qualifying disabilities. My partner is low vision bordering on legally blind and he uses public transportation but he doesn’t have to pay for it.

I lost a significant portion of my vision at 37 after a medical emergency. Has your mom seen a low vision specialist? If not, then she definitely should. Mine hooked me up with all types of resources.

Has she contacted her state's (assuming you are in the US) organization for the blind and visually impaired? Our's is wonderful and offered Orientation and Mobility Training and assistance with training on and accessing assistive tech.

iOS and Android both offer a ton of accessibility features for the visually impaired. However, there is a learning curve, and I think it is additionally frustrating if you over-rely on your remaining vision. I learned a lot by looking up YouTube videos on Talkback for Android and I'm sure there are similar content available for iOS.

I can navigate (mostly) by sight in most situations by sight, but I do use a white cane in large crowds and in situations like when there might be a lot of stairs or terrain changes. She could use one as what's called an ID cane which is not for navigation per se, but rather to communicate to others she is visually impaired.

Finally, she should definitely seek mental health counseling. With all she's been through, she probably needs it. It took me a little over a year to fully process my vision loss and I'm still learning what the new normal is. The things we do often we relearn quickly, but there's things pop up all the time and I'm like "I can't do this the same way as I used to." It takes time to adjust. Good luck and best wishes to for your mom.

I have also had a huge amount of issues with Uber and Lyft. Many times they've hung up on me and driven off when I have tried to explain where I am and that I can't see them. Honestly public transportation is less convenient and rather dirty, but it's also cheaper (especially with half fare for those with disabilities) and less frustrating, and this is why I tend to use that more often. Would she consider relocating to have access to better transportation options? That's what I've had to do. There's also paratransit, which will often go where the bus doesn't. Unfortunately, it's even more inconvenient and they generally give a very large window of time in which they'll show up so it's not particularly helpful if you are on a tight schedule.