arXiv:2510.12268v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: People with visual impairments (PVI) increasingly adopt conversational AI (CAI) in their daily practices. While much existing HCI research has focused on the technical capabilities of CAI, less has examined the societal contexts in which PVI use CAI, particularly from non-Western perspectives. We conducted a study with 14 participants with visual impairments in South Korea using an audio-based probe featuring imagined dialogues between a blind user and a future CAI. Our findings situate CAI use alongside persistent social barriers such as prejudice and restricted employment opportunities that contribute to a lack of social visibility for PVI. These societal conditions shape not only how CAI is used, but also how the potential benefits and limitations of CAI are experienced. We discuss the need for CAI design within the socio-technical realities of PVI, and conclude by discussing the importance of emphasizing social awareness and empowerment in the development of future CAI systems.