More than 20 million American adults reported experiencing vision loss in the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. That’s a big number, so The Mighty decided to team up with the American Foundation for the Blind to start a discussion about visual impairment. We asked our readers who live with blindness and visual impairment want to world to understand about them.

This is what they had to say.

4. “Blindness isn’t something to be ashamed of or to be embarrassed about.” — Jael Espinal

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8. “I wish people could understand how frustrating it is when you are losing your sight, but what we have to do is find ways to adapt, and this makes it easier. We are not to be put out to pasture yet because there are still things we can do.” — Evelyn Jeanette Morton Bishop

11. “It’s important that people understand the fear that comes with losing your eyesight. When your world starts to go dark, you really need kindness to keep you going.” — Sarah Elizabeth Baggett-Poole

13. “I have a visual impairment. [People assume] blind and visually impaired persons are deaf, [so they] talk really loud. This is not true. Being blind does not mean we are deaf. We hear just fine. It is true, however, that some blind persons have hearing impairments. But they do not go hand-in -and.” — Kim Leis Moberg

16. “In public moments I just need some help, not to be treated as a dumb kid.” — Ana Karina Velázquez Villalobos

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21. “There are lots of different types of ‘blind’ or visual impairment. Not all forms of vision impairment come with a guide dog and a white stick. Some little ones take longer to learn to see than others and sometimes it’s the brain, not the eyes.” — SarahandLayne Coates

22. “Please, for the absolute love of God, don’t ask to try on my glasses (no, they aren’t a toy and will probably give you a headache).” — Collette Kerr

23. “I am happy the way I am and don’t want to be ‘fixed.’ I don’t want or need people’s pity.” — Lina Coral

What would you add? Let us know in the comments below.

*Answers have been edited for brevity.