I think it depends on how obviously blind you are and what kinds of accommodations you'll need. I didn't mention it until I got my offer, because I'm 100% remote (but it turned out they already knew, anyway).

It won't help with this interview, but some states offer vocational courses for the blind and visually impaired that teach jobhunting techniques. I spoke to someone who took one in New York State. "Disclosure" is a subject that's covered. I was told it's "tricky," not unlike dating. If you have the option, normally, you'd want the prospective employer to get interested in your skills and experience before bringing it up.

If it’s a face to face interview then I talk to them right away, mostly because my blindness is obvious.

Let me know what you decide to do ñ I've been job hunting and just got diagnosed with Stargardt's as well. On top of vision challenges I also only work 4/5 days a week because I have to cover baby duty so my wife can keep her job. All said - I'm not feeling like the strongest candidate.

Appreciate you posting here - it's reassuring to know others are facing similar challenges.

Good luck.

I’m super upfront about it, walked into my interview with a cane told them what I could do got hired

Hello! Different field, but I've also got a desk job. I'm completely blind in my right eye and have low vision even with glasses in my left. People might notice that my glasses are thick but no one guesses that without hi-index lenses they would be ridiculously thick. I don't tell anyone I'm visually impaired until well after I'm hired and have passed the probation period if there is one. When I am given the equal opportunity employer form at hire I check the box saying that I have a disability - but I don't tell them what it is. When I'm comfortable in the position, I may ask for accommodations. For example, with Covid we all switched to using remote desktop to work from home but that doesn't allow accessibility settings to be changed remotely so I requested a laptop and got one.

Software engineer? If you have the technical skills for the job, then if they’re a good employer they’ll be happy you applied. A job can receive a number of good candidates, so don’t be discouraged or assume your vision is the deciding factor if they don’t offer you the job. Several finalists might each have suitable technical skills, and be acceptable to the team, in which case making the choice is tough.

An employer who would dare not hire you because of your vision would likely be so far behind the times that working there would be unpleasant. Any halfway decent company wouldn’t even risk rejecting a candidate because of a disability. I won’t claim it’s always so clear cut, and nowadays some otherwise good companies could make bad hiring decisions.

If you’re not working with a recruiter, consider doing so. It’s worth spending the time to find a recruiter or recruiting agency that specializes in software engineering placements.

Finally, if your LinkedIn profile isn’t up to date, polish it up. Recruiters rely heavily on LinkedIn.