From reading your post, I think there are two things here. First is about your feelings of loneliness and the second is about dealing with other people's reactions to you in public.

With regards to feeling lonely, I note you said you lost contact with the friends you had before the pandemic. Do you feel you can reach out to them and rebuild those relationships? This, of course, depends on why you are no longer in contact with them. If you drifted apart, it may be worth a try to see if you can re-establish contact. Of course, use your judgement to determine if it's a good idea to reach out to those former friends and don't bring people back into your life who may have been toxic or harmful to you in any way.

Failing that, joining social groups around your interests could be a first step. I note that you mention "before the vision loss", are you newly visually impaired? If so, attending new places or participating in new activities may be tricky at first if you are just getting used to your new level of vision. You could perhaps start online, maybe find forums or online groups that you could be part of and then take those friendships offline and meet up in person once you're comfortable.

On to dealing with people's behaviour in public. I sympathise with your experience as, while I live somewhere else now, I am originally from a country where people had no qualms about openly staring at anyone who was different to them. For some reason, people seemed to think I was deaf as well as visually impaired and would loudly ask "does she even know where she is going?" when they saw me walking down the street. Then would react in total surprise when I answered back!

The only thing I can really offer is to ignore it. I know that's easier said than done but, if India is anything like where I am from, it will take a whole cultural shift to stop people behaving like that, which you aren't able to do as one person alone. Ignore it or maybe even have fun with it if you feel safe enough to, as another poster suggested, ask them what they're staring at and laugh at the shocked responses. It definitely gets easier as you get older.

Sorry you're feeling like this! Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but I had a quick glance through your post history and I can tell you that my bf is blind, with some sight and he worked full time up until yesterday!

He quit to start his own business, but he used to work as a teacher, then he freelanced doing accounting and basically any computer-based job he could find, and then he was a project manager.

Hoping you find some answers soon!

you know i bet if you asked them what they're staring at they'd be pretty surprised.

i'm sorry you're feeling so alone :(

Just don’t mind them and live your life normally.

I would say socialize with people and be out and about and make new friends.

I’m in America, and I don’t experience quite as much of the stigma as you from your country as a whole. I’ve noticed something super interesting recently. First a little background: I was born wiht a congenital condition that led to my blindness. By the time I was 3, my dad (same condition) was pretty much completely blind. In other words, my visual health was not a surprise to my parents. My mom is already infinitely anxious about the world, and I feel she was very protective, to the point of being detrimental, about my wellbeing. I am now 36. I moved out in my early 20s and have lived in a total of three states. I just moved back to my home state, and this is how I had a revelation.

My mom is sooo concerned about me that she asked why I walk the dog and not my husband. She saw me walking dog around new neighborhood and got nervous I was so close to a busy road, and she asked me why I can’t just take the dog around in the front yard. All this to say that my mom was watching me while I walke my dog. This is why I’m ALWAYS aware/self-conscious to some degree that people are watching me.

For the first ten years or so of being fully blind, I was ALWAYS (I just realized you may not be aware I’m typing some stuff in all caps, but then again you’re not completely blind, so maybe?) super self-conscious that everyone, everywhere was constantly observing me. This led to me being hyper anxious about my “performance” in public. I felt always on display, and I felt pressure to do things to the utmost, so people had the experience that blind people are in fact capable, competent beings.

Let me tell you: you absolutely do not need to hold onto that sort of pressure and responsibility. I still strugle sometimes, but I’ve adopted a “I don’t give a flying Eff if you see me stumble” mindset. I know it’s not easy, but it was so freeing once I could (mostly) stop worrying that people are staring at me.

As for the loneliness, I agree that online communities are wonderful. I made most of my current friends while at college, through various clubs and extracurriculars. I found school to be a great environment for me to come into myself as a blind person because of the support and structure of the institution. I wasn’t just out in the world.

Sorry for the essay. Hahah

Hi, I'm from India too.. I'm sighted and I'm dating a visually impaired person and I know how difficult it is here because we aren't as inclusive and tolerant as we think we are.
Online communities really do provide strong support and you can make amazing friends too. If you live anywhere near the southern part of the country, pls do DM me.

You have gotten some really great responses so far. I especillay liked the concrete advice from Spike about becoming more active in an online voiceover community and using your skills to meet others.

Now, I am going to address the staring. I am many decades older than you, so take the for the grandmotherly advice that it is:

I have an autoimmune disorder (dx'd at the age you are now), and people have stared at me and asked rude/weird questions all my adult life. Four years ago, I had my right leg amputated and now wear a prosthetic. People stare. With my visual impairment, people stare or become impatient as I try to read signs (which door is the ladies room, and which is the men's?).

And here is my advice on that: For whatever reason that they stare - and there are many - none are about you. It is always about them. Ignore their stares. Take them in stride. Be proud of who you are.

As to being lonely, this will get better as you reach out to find your people. They are out there. Surround yourself with people who recognize your awesomness and who will lift you up. You are not alone.

Hey, I am also an India and as far as I understand India is a shit country for disable people. I have corneal opacity (basically scarred cornea/left eye, right eye is fine) . I can still see with my left but the vision is blurry and I have cloudy shape in front of my left cornea. I lost significant vision when I was in 6th standard and after 6 month of treatment the scar healed(not completely) but around December of last the scar started growing again (I don't know why) and in the span of week it completely blocked my front part of cornea.I visited an eye specialist and he gave me tropical steroids,but it didn't work and I lost most of my vision in my left eye and after that I visited another doctor without any results. I live significant part of my life at home mostly reading and thinking because of my illness. I understand your situation,not just for disabled people India is terrible country for everybody because there no road for walking and the footpaths are mostly occupaied by food stalls.I have seen many accidents in my front of my eye and no body gives a shit about people like you and me. And India is the most racist country jn the world more racist than US. But hey, we have to live our life as much as we can(you can DM me me anytime).

And I think you can start a YouTube channel(Like reading books.I know a few people who make audio stories and they have a large number of subscribers (around 350k ). They translate English author's in Bengali(I am Bengali) and they narrate it sound effects(but most of it belong to horror genre and mythological horror). I think you can do something like this.

In India, everyone stares. Do they ever ask you questions??