Transcript Albinism Fellowship Of Australia

ALBINISM
By Amy Gillespie
Year 3 (3/2E)
What is Albinism?
• Albinism is a group of genetic conditions that causes a
lack of pigment. Genetic means that your mum and
dad pass it on to you when they make you. Pigment is
the stuff that makes your skin different colours like
light (like me), or dark (like someone from Africa).
People with albinism don’t have much or any pigment
in their eyes, hair, or body (this is called oculo
cutanious albinism). Some people just have albinism in
their eyes (this is called Ocular albinism).
• About 1 in 17 thousand people in Australia have
Albinism.
My mum has albinism
What do people with Albinism Look Like?
Most people with Albinism have light blonde or
yellowish hair, light pinkish or creamy skin and
blue or violet eyes.
If they only have albinism in their eyes then
their skin and hair can be of normal colour
People from all over the world can have
albinism, even people from Africa, China, India
and Japan! Their skin will usually be very light.
African child with Albinism
Chinese girl with albinism
Indian child with Albinism & his
sister
Even animals can have albinism!
Eye Sight Conditions
Nystagmus
This is when a person with
albinism’s eyes wobble
slightly. My mum’s moves
side to side. This, and
other eye conditions in
albinism affects her
eyesight. She can’t see as
well as me or you.
Photophobia
People with Albinism are
sensitive to glare from the
sun and sudden lights
when in a dark room.
People with albinism also
burn very very easily in
the sun. My mum can
even burn in the shade
with the reflection off
concrete, sand or water.
Help with Seeing
Mini Telescope and
magnifying glass
Mum uses these to read
bus numbers and
menus
Video Magnifyer &
talking book machine
Visually impaired people
like my mum use these
to read books or listen
to them.
What its like for ME!
My sister Caileigh and I find it fun helping mum
read the bus numbers and other things like
menus on the wall because she cant read
them from a distance. I also like playing with
mum’s equipment for seeing things. Mum
doesn’t drive because of her eyesight being
bad, and the good thing about this is we get to
catch busses, ferries and trains for free
because mum has a special visually impaired
pass, and can also catch taxis for half price.
Albinism Quiz
1. What is pigment?
2. What kind of equipment can people with
visual impairments (who cant see very well)
use?
3. What does genetic mean?
4. What are 2 things that show a person has
albinism?
5. Do I have albinism?
Bibliography
Albinism Fellowship of Australia –
www.albinismaustralia.org
National Organisation for Albinism and
Hypopigmentation (NOAH) www.albinism.org
Google search and photos www.google.com.au
Positive Exposure
http://www.positiveexposure.org
My mum Kim Gillespie