My experience with students (outside of engineering) is that the most common show stopper for MacBooks is price. They’re not nit picking about keyboard backlighting.

Most people have no problem using a keyboard in the dark or with light from the screen.

Backlit keyboards are a nice-to-have, not a showstopper.

I would say the vast, vast majority of people are completely unable to use a non-lit keyboard in the dark.

Learned touch typing just fine on a non-backlit keyboard. What would you feel would be the issue?

Can't see the keys in a dark classroom or bedroom.

...the skill of touch typing is that you don't need to look at the keyboard.

And the keys are still labeled...

The F and J keys still have bumps, to be able to locate them and position your hands correctly on the keyboard without looking.