On a more emotional level, when you talk to older people who have lost their sight, the two things they constantly say they miss the most are driving and being able to read. So not having access to printed material is definitely something that people feel when they lose their vision.
I also want to mention that I'm working on a PhD at the University of Alberta, and as a student, I've seen a lot of students change their programs because they can get access to the materials in a certain program and they can't get it for the program they were originally in. They drop out of school, or they take longer to finish. It has a major impact on a blind person's ability to be educated and to get a job afterwards. We have really abysmal employment rates for blind Canadians.