With so much going on around the world and in the USA it is important to stop and recognize the good and important work that different groups are doing. The United Nations established this past Monday, June 13th, as International Albinism Awareness Day. People around the world with albinism face tremendous cultural stigma and in some instances this leads to actual physical violence. That makes the recognition from the United Nations all the more important as we work to assist people in living independent lives.
The group National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) is a major force supporting individuals working together. From their website they say “NOAH’s mission is to act as a conduit for accurate and authoritative information about all aspects of living with albinism and to provide a place where people with albinism and their families, in the United States and Canada, can find acceptance, support and fellowship.”
I applaud the United Nations for designating International Albinism Awareness Day, and NOAH for all the fine work they do for this important cause. NOAH’s national conference is coming up this July in Pittsburgh, PA. If you have a child with albinism, this annual conference offers great opportunities for learning, playing, and connecting with the albinism community.