I was a happy fully sighted software developer up until a few years ago an eye disease started all of a sudden. Now I am blind. I applied for disability and got denied. I appealed and was denied again. In the end I hired a lawyer and won the case. Judge told me he was surprised that I had to go this far as my case seemed so clear to him.
To make things fair, I wasn't fully blind at the time when I applied for disagbility. My doctor thought I was blind enough to be considered disabled. Social security's doctor didn't think so.
Maybe something you don't feel comfortable discussing, and feel free to disregard if it is. But I've often thought about what I would do if this, or a major injury to my hands, were to happen to me.
Programming is a big part of my life, and I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly couldn't do it anymore. You're able to read and write posts on HN, so it seems that you're able to edit text again, albeit at a (significantly) reduced rate? Have you picked up programming as a hobby again? Or have you moved on to other things now that you don't have to?
It took me a few years to adjust, but I'm back in the workforce. I am working in a big IT company now. Blind people can use screenreaders - assistive software - to write code and leave comments on hacker news. If something happens to your hands, I've heard of a software developer who is using dictation software to write code. There are ways you can work around your disabilities.
I was a happy fully sighted software developer up until a few years ago an eye disease started all of a sudden. Now I am blind. I applied for disability and got denied. I appealed and was denied again. In the end I hired a lawyer and won the case. Judge told me he was surprised that I had to go this far as my case seemed so clear to him.
To make things fair, I wasn't fully blind at the time when I applied for disagbility. My doctor thought I was blind enough to be considered disabled. Social security's doctor didn't think so.