I am blind and I have been working as a software engineer for almost 3 years. My formation was as an economist with a Master in management, but I went into a 10 month reconversion course to IT, focused on java programming.
I am working at a Portuguese international company called Critical Software (I am Portuguese), and it is really inclusive and I feel great. When I was looking for a job in economics./management I felt that no-one wanted to employ me because of my blindness, it was a little depressing, but in IT what matters is your brain, so, usually, there is no discrimination. Sometimes some creativity is needed to overcome some visual challenges, some inaccessible documents or less navigable websites, but with a good team spirit and no problems in assuming when you need help, everything is doable.
My experience is fully as a backend developer, but I had an internal workshop on React and I could make things happen in frontend during that afternoon. I am a Mac user (using VoiceOver) and I've used Windows with Jaws and NVDA before 2013. Now I am starting a new challenge at work, because we have to use Linux to run the test environment and, after having a very inaccessible experience with Mint in the last days, I will now install Ubuntu and try to completely figure it out with Orca, its screen reader.
I am also doing a Master degree in Software Engineering since September, I've encountered some challenges, but where others visualize, I tend to create mental representations and, sometimes, I have a broader mental picture of things than my colleagues. I also agree with the user about the super-powers, I am realizing that my reading speed is priceless when there are things to learn at work or to study.
Regarding life itself... you can prepare in advance, I knew that I would become blind since I was 8 (I am 29), I still see a tiny bit, irrelevant to work or study but useful to figure light and some walls. I started to try to get around my room at night with no lights and I developed some confidence in myself during my teens. I also learned how to walk with the cane before I thought I needed it, it gives you extra security to know that you are prepared for the inevitable. And walking independently on your own is a requirement to have a guide dog.
I am an independent blind person now and, besides driving, I do everything I want. I play guitar, drums, go to the gym, hear the books I want with my screen reader and I've lived alone and cooked on my own for one year and I still have all my fingers. I know blind people that watch Netflix with audio descriptions, others that run marathons, play futsal...
My biggest challenge was when I wanted to change to software development and my first trial was a failure, and I lost hope of doing it. Since you have that part already, my suggestion is to be calm, believe that, like others, you are capable of overcoming the challenge and try to be yourself and believe in your problem solving capabilities, because in the en that is what life and blindness is about. And trying to prepare in advance and believing it is possible is a decisive first step, believe me!
Try to familiarize yourself with screen readers - NVDA on windows, Voiceover on all Apple things, Orca on Linux, talkback on Android. Know how to turn yours on and off and try to get familiarized with hearing things. There are other tools but I am not an expert on neither: braille displays, tactile printings, haptics also.
Also, try to have some mobility lessons (I don't know if it is the right English term), it is important to learn to feel and hear instead of seeing and to "activate" the capabilities you already have but never needed.
Sorry for the essay, but I wanted to assure you that you can live your own life and be independent despite being blind. If you need anything, diogopmelo@gmail.com
Regarding life itself... you can prepare in advance, I knew that I would become blind since I was 8 (I am 29), I still see a tiny bit, irrelevant to work or study but useful to figure light and some walls. I started to try to get around my room at night with no lights and I developed some confidence in myself during my teens. I also learned how to walk with the cane before I thought I needed it, it gives you extra security to know that you are prepared for the inevitable. And walking independently on your own is a requirement to have a guide dog.
I am an independent blind person now and, besides driving, I do everything I want. I play guitar, drums, go to the gym, hear the books I want with my screen reader and I've lived alone and cooked on my own for one year and I still have all my fingers. I know blind people that watch Netflix with audio descriptions, others that run marathons, play futsal...
My biggest challenge was when I wanted to change to software development and my first trial was a failure, and I lost hope of doing it. Since you have that part already, my suggestion is to be calm, believe that, like others, you are capable of overcoming the challenge and try to be yourself and believe in your problem solving capabilities, because in the en that is what life and blindness is about. And trying to prepare in advance and believing it is possible is a decisive first step, believe me!
Try to familiarize yourself with screen readers - NVDA on windows, Voiceover on all Apple things, Orca on Linux, talkback on Android. Know how to turn yours on and off and try to get familiarized with hearing things. There are other tools but I am not an expert on neither: braille displays, tactile printings, haptics also.
Also, try to have some mobility lessons (I don't know if it is the right English term), it is important to learn to feel and hear instead of seeing and to "activate" the capabilities you already have but never needed.
Sorry for the essay, but I wanted to assure you that you can live your own life and be independent despite being blind. If you need anything, diogopmelo@gmail.com