I'm confused. Usually, vision gets worse so...why would you not be able to drive now but you can when you're older?

It's rough when all your friends are starting to drive and you can't. I remember that age and it just kind of sucked. It gets better, though. Your friends will be able to give you rides, and if you go to college, everyone walks around the college campus, so you can participate in events and activities there.

Not being able to drive also isn't going to stop you from getting a job or having a successful career. Tons of people commute in other ways to work everyday. Tons of other people work remotely (myself included). It may mean moving to an area with better public transit when you're an adult, but those areas also have better jobs and more opportunities all around.

As for school, do you have a 504 plan (assuming. you're in the US)? If not, talk to your parents, you should have one. It's legal documents on file with the school that guarantee you the equitable access to education - so they will accommodate your vision loss and make sure you have the same learning opportunities as everyone else.

Regarding your school, have you talked to your teachers about that? Depending on where you are, school boards can provide equipment to help with reading the board (such as a portable CCTV), or other assistance.

In the area that you live in, how is their public transportation? Have you gotten any O&M training to learn how to get around?

You can’t blame yourself for what you can’t help. If you can’t see you can’t. It means you have a disability and a specific problem. So get help.

Doesn’t your school have a special education type set up? Can’t you present your doctors note and get services from your school like an iep a vision teacher and materials, get to sit in the front of class.


Also don’t blame yourself for not being able to drive if your city has transportation you can do that or if you can walk just because you can’t drive doesn’t mean you’re lesser.

I know it sucks not being able to drive. I was 15 when I got homogeneous hemianopsia. I could not drive, meaning I needed a ride to everything, including the library.

The upside to losing vision young is the ability to plan. I grew up, I moved to city that is walker’s paradise with a walk score of 99. A transit score of 69.

Now is a good time to plan for an independent future.

$1

What country/state are you in? When my school was not responsive to my needs, the state commission for the blind and visually impaired were my advocates and helped me get the accommodations I needed.

A fello blind teenager here. Look, complainin and just constantly sayin "I'm disapointed bout myself" and this and that ain't gone get you nowhere. It aint yo fault that you can't drive. Also it don't mean that if you can't drive errythang's over for ya. You better stop complainin and start advocating for yourself. If you can't see what the teacher's writin on the board, raise yo hand and tell em to read it out loud. Hell, if you didn't catch what they said, why not ask em to repeat it one mo time. Ask yo parents to help with special needs for your education. Try to get an orientation and mobility training. If yo school or district don't give a damn bout visually impaired people but have millions for sports or whatever the hell, ask yo parents to do some. Maybe they'll take legal action. Hell, try to move to another city/state where it's much better for V.I. people. DO SOMETHIN

I’m very sorry to hear this. I am visually impaired and glasses don’t fix anything for me. In fact, they help a tiny. I’ve been told I’ll never drive, and I’m at the end of middle school, about to go into high school. I am a home schooler, but I feel your pain. For long time, I’ve struggled with many of the same things you asked,

>“How am I supposed to get a job? How am I supposed to get around?”

And I too feel like I’ve failed and am loser. Although I’ve never strives to drive the much, I see how I’ll be depending on others to get me places, at least for a time. I’m hoping a safe and well made self driving car will come out within the next ten years. A lot of people, including my family and grown up friends tell me to have confidence and to not feel alone because there’s a lot of people who’s visually impaired and blind. Even though I doubt I’ll meet someone who has to read so funny as I and live a life feeling lead by an iPad, I must remember, there’s others out there who are like me, to some degree.

I have to remind myself, I didn’t choose this life, I was given this life. I was born for a reason and a purpose. Maybe I don’t see how on earth I could be a help to lead people to God, but, I’ve just got to trust he’s got a plan for me.

Even though I’m visually impaired, I see screens pretty well. iPads and iPhones have helped me see the world around me since 2017. YouTube is how I see things best.

As for jobs, I hope to use my knowledge of iOS to help people through phone calls and chat rooms at home.

For getting around, I’ll need to depend on my parents and close friends throughout life. Fully self driving cars will be a thing, eventually, but it’ll be a while before that will be a legal thing.

As for embarrassment, I’ve been there too, and I’m sure a lot of us here in this community have too. My parents always says, it doesn’t matter what they say. People are mean, rude, and and plain out right bad. Not everyone is, but you are going to find yourself in a sticky situation now and then. I get forced to play games with balls, or extreme vision required even though I’ll explain why I can’t play those games over and over and over again.

For me, counseling has been a big help, which didn’t even start because of my visually issues.

Totally confused because if you’ve been blind your whole 15 years, why would ever expect to be able to drive? Like is your doc thinking you’ll be eligible to operate an autonomous car in 5 years or something?