platinum-luna

Another blind redditor here. I don't have any questions but I figured I'd give this link to Chrome Vox, a screen reader you can use with Google Chrome to get on inaccessible sites like Reddit! I use Voice Over mostly, but there are some websites that are completely inaccessible to screen readers. My boyfriend told me about the free Chrome download so I've been sharing it with all my blind friends.

Hi there! I have albinism as well. I'm legally blind and my vision is hand motion, so upwards of 20/1,000, and I have a guide dog. I just wanted to say thank you for doing this AMA. I've thought about doing one but the idea of having to read all the potentially rude/mean comments doesn't sound appealing to me.

Do you use a cane or guide animal? I have blind friends with mobility aids and friends who don't use them at all.

Do many people recognize that you have albinism? I find that, if people don't know what they're looking for, they don't notice it much.

I grew up in NC and went to public schools in Craven and Johnston county. Neither of them were as impoverished as the county where you work, but there certainly wasn't a lot of money. I had an IEP because I'm legally blind. Unfortunately, I noticed that services for disabled children in my counties were far worse than for students in wealthier counties. Have you noticed this where you work? Do you have many IEP students, or sensory impaired students in general? For a wider context, I'm now going to Appalachian State, a university in the western part of the state, but I had to teach myself a lot of the techniques I needed for college on my own.

Glad to hear that you're doing better and recovery is going okay. I just wanted to let you know that I have nystagmus too, but mine is caused by albinism. The only thing that seems to help for me is not straining my eyes too much, getting enough rest, things like that. I do hope your symptoms/headaches improve.

I have albinism and nystagmus too, and I'm legally blind as well! It's so cool to see another person on here with the same condition. My vision is so bad that I got a guide dog last summer and it's been a huge help. Have you or your sister ever considered getting one?

I get the same kind of rude comments you described, though my eyes are very pale blue instead. When I tell people I'm albino they don't believe me because of this, I then have to explain that there are multiple types of albinism in varying severity. Do your parents have the condition? Mine do not, and neither does my sister, but I'm guessing she's a carrier for the gene.

Have you or your sister ever felt like it's difficult to fully participate in socializing/making friends due to your vision?