You cannot discount my experiences and observations unless you have gone through this yourself.
Are you saying this seriously? Go to a local club for blind people, or some club for people with some other disability, and you'll find many living perfectly normal lives, in relationships, etc. You will also find several who don't have a relationship (which also true in abled people). But it's in no way like you need to be a famous artist/billionaire etc to be blind/disabled/etc and have a relationship. Not even close.
>You cannot discount my experiences and observations unless you have gone through this yourself.
You can, if they are not accurate.
What I found might surprise you. Blind people have normal relationships just like anyone else, and conferences tend to be a hotbed of dating and connection-making beyond just the topic of the day. My best friend is happily married now for more than 10 years, and I am in a long-term relationship coming up on my 2nd year anniversary. I've since met multiple blind people in the tech industry and found most of them to be successful in their career and in their relationships.
I'd heavily recommend you get involved in local groups and also to go out and do whatever activities interest you. Most people are more accepting than you might imagine. There's a lot of things that might be difficult due to visual acuity, but people are understanding are willing to give you space to be part of the group. For instance, I've found that board gaming and D&D are very popular activities with the geekier folks I know in the blind community, and for those who are partially sighted using assistive technology like magnification cameras on their phone or similar makes these things possible to do without significant impairment. You'll be more likely to meet someone you're compatible with if you get out of the house and go participate in mixed gender hobbies.
You may not want to hear this, but it's the truest observation I've made. Those folks who are struggling in the blind community have often put themselves in a situation to struggle. There's pervasive negative feedback loops when someone becomes disabled, especially if they become disabled later in life. It's easy to become hopeless, and it's easy for your own insecurities about your disability to sabotage the relationships you'd otherwise have, both professional and romantic. In the words of my best friend, "You're blind. So what? So am I. Go make something of yourself." Don't get fooled into throwing yourself a pity party. Instead go do the things necessary in your life to be an attractive romantic partner, and you will find that your disability is not the impediment you imagine. Romance is about emotional connection, first and foremost.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5ajj7/how-dating-works-w...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/01/09/wh...
You might consider finding a local support group for people who've recently lost their sight.
Any examples of men successfully dating after starting to lose their eyesight? Or other disabilities?
I think I've read other articles in the past about women with disabilities having a relatively easy time dating, but men with disabilities having a lot more difficulty.
The first mentions dating within the blind community, which would likely make things substantially easier on both parties.
I've seen enough weird parings and horrible people in relationships to feel quite comfortable with the statement "blind isn't a guaranteed deal-breaker". I do suspect the recency matters a lot - grief after loss can be all-consuming and take time to come to terms with.
Side note: My spouse is disabled, so I'm also quite comfortable with the concept of dating someone with a disability.
I got married after symptoms began. It was not easy but life doesn't stop. I'm still coming to terms and searching for something that works meds/supplements/physical therapy. However, I don't considered myself disabled even though this is quite limiting and I require more rest.
I think once one accepts your alignment and find ways of still being a member of the society, one will have a much better luck dating. I think the depression that these problems bring is just really hard to deal with and affects people around us.