As @Philipp has mentioned, some may be suspicious as to why they would take so long to correct their handicap, in a world so advanced. I have doubts as to whether 150 years is enough to solve the question of poverty, so they can probably claim that they were too poor to afford treatment. If, however, the world has somehow implemented universal healthcare, in every country, they can use their acting skills to fib. Maybe they were kidnapped by a gang as a child and never got fair treatment. Maybe they were living on that one island that never learned. Maybe they wanted to remain blind because reasons, but the person they love has been diagnosed with a fatal condition, and they got the surgery to see them one last time. A good actor/conman can always figure something out.
If any of their behavior seems to be strange in the future, they can say that they have been rehabilitating from whatever condition they had in the past. To rehabilitate themselves from the Cultural Shock they will inevitably experience, they can then use their funds and identity documents to attend the future equivalent of a College or University.