I carry a white cane in public even when I’m not using it.

I would just wait until an appropriate time to mention it, but if you get yourself at least an ID cane, it should make it more clear to others without having to wait for the opportunity to bring it up.

I just tell them. Usually they think I’m joking at first till they try to make me read something (usually a meme) or see me pull out my cane. I recently got T-shirts’ for when I’m out running errands that say “I can see but I can’t, it’s complicated” or something to that degree because I get stopped a lot on my way to get things done because people don’t know that you don’t have to be 100% blind to need a white cane, I did this because people often think I’m faking my disability.

Doesn’t have to be awkward just slip in a “by the way since it’s gonna come up anyway I just wanted to let you know that I’m blind/visually impaired.”

Once it’s not so fresh you will find a groove be it with patient explanations or blind jokes.

Considering I am about as blind as it is possible to be I am astonished at how many people say they can't tell, especially if I'm wearing sunglasses (yes, I sometimes do this for no reason other than pure vanity, sue me). Even for people who aren't in that position, which I'm not all the time and it certainly won't last long, my favourite trick was always to get to know people by phone first. Then you can have a normal conversation and get to know each other, joke about the weather and complain about politicians, and you have some sort of relaionship before you drop the bomb on them. Of course 99 per cent of the time you discover it wasn't really a bomb at all and nobody's that concerned, but I think it can help.

Mine is new also I carry an id cane so it sparks the comment and I just try not to get into details. Not many people push me to talk about it so far.

I genuinely think that it’s just going to be awkward and you kind of just have to “rip the bandaid off”
On the other hand, if you are witty enough you can pull a joke to ease the conversation.
When I was younger I watched a reality tv show where a guy who was born with one arm shorter then the other. (maybe no hand?) In the show he waiting until the new person he met did the whole “if you don’t mind me asking what happened” and the guy went on to tell him a horrific story about an alligator attack that ended up killing his parents and taking his hand. The stranger was absolutely shook, then he said “naw I am just kidding, I was born this way” and it was hilarious and light hearted.

My eyes look kind of weird so people were never really surprised to learn I had some vision issues, but since my vision has worsened I've found having the cane eliminates the need for awkward explanations.

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My sight is 20/200 or less due to Nystagmus. I carry a folded cane in my hand when approaching the counter of a restaurant or walking around a business. I went to the pub this week and set it on the bar.

This is an expedient non-verbal cue to the woman winking at me across the room, the shopkeep wondering if I might be a shoplifter because I pick up everything, and the border police waving me to their queue. "Maybe I need to do something else cause he don't see shit."

You also don't have to tell them anything. I am totally blind, and I don't bring it up unless I need to. I have had interactions with some people, and they have never mention my blindness. If it is someone I am only ever going to see once, I generally don't bring it up.

my are different in their pupils, one takes up most of my iris and the other is the usual size. but my eyes are dark brown so it is not noticeable at first. i do not wear sunglasses out of spite, i use a hoodie to control my light intake.

i use a cane so most of the time people do not question it, but you would be surprised how many people don't know that it is for blindness.

i have been in multiple situations where people have not realised, it usually goes like this.

i'm blind.

oh, so you just see black.

no, i can only see .......

give one point of reference, like what they look like to you, a grey blob, a multi colour blob, i can see your face but i wouldn't be able to see your eye colour. i can't see anything in the middle. or whatever it is like for you.

then move on with the conversation.