Budgies can live as long as a rabbit, the problem is that in captivity theyāre often irresponsibly bred and not well kept. They are very prone to fatty liver, and big box pet store parakeets often carry nasty zootonic diseases like psittacosis due to unsanitary conditions or because the breeder was not a responsible one.
Not all budgies will learn to talk - if a bird not talking and not doing tricks is a deal breaker, a bird may not be for you. I have an Amazon who is a lovely talker - if you like hearing her previous ownerās dogās name yelled so loudly you can hear it down the street.
I think what Iām trying to say is - the correct way to approach bird ownership is to acknowledge that they are not domesticated; theyāre still wild animals, and they have very specific needs that are sometimes difficult to meet in captivity. Ask yourself, āwhat can I do for my bird?ā, not, āwhat can my bird do for me?ā
Iām sorry to hear about your sensory issues! Again, it comes down to the individual bird, but they are flock animals and will want to be near you. I canāt promise any particular species wonāt want to sit with you from time to time, and the little guys are excellent fliers so itās hard to keep them off, heh.