Living with ocular albinism

Pigment melanin is usually present in the eye and contributes to normal vision, but ocular albinism occurs when there’s a lack of pigment in the eye, causing vision impairment. The condition can lead to other eye conditions, such as nystagmus.

You can find more information about how albinism affects vision on the NHS website.

Please note: Whilst Guide Dogs may be able to suggest various third-party websites which may be able to assist you, those are not endorsed by Guide Dogs. Guide Dogs have no control over those third parties and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information and support they can provide or the suitability and quality of any products or services they provide.

Living independently with ocular albinism

In the following video, Karishma shares her experience of living with ocular albinism.

Although ocular albinism can impact your vision, there are many tools and adaptations to support your independence and make your day-to-day life easier, such as: 

• Wearing glasses or contact lenses to help improve vision and correct refractive errors 
• Low vision aids – like handheld magnifiers, large print, and high contrast materials – can make learning, reading, and working easier
• Wearing dark-tinted lenses or UV sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat can help with light sensitivity in bright light
• Telescopic lenses attached to glasses to help read writing that’s further away
• Technology, such as speech-to-text software
• Extra support during physical activities for young children with nystagmus who may struggle to perceive depth  

At Guide Dogs, we have a wide range of services, both with and without guide dogs, and a team of experts who can work with you to understand your needs and agree on a plan that’s right for you.

The ways we could help you:

• Habilitation or rehabilitation of important life skills
• Our guide dog service
• Our Vision Rehabilitation Specialists can make recommendations best suited to you and your needs
• Tips and advice to help you make the most of your remaining vision
• Resources and support on how technology can improve your independence

Working with ocular albinism

Living with a visual impairment isn't a barrier to working, but you may be entitled to some extra support and adjustments to help you in the workplace. The Equality Act requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to support people with impairments at work.

The type of support you need will depend on how severe your visual impairment is due to ocular albinism. Examples of what might help include:

• Low vision aids, like magnifying lenses, to help with reading
• Adjustments to lighting to help with light sensitivity
• Time off for appointments and check-ups
• A flexible working pattern to help you manage if your sight varies from day to day (for example, due to nystagmus).

Driving with ocular albinism

The DVLA has a minimum required standard of vision for driving. This includes visual acuity (accuracy or sharpness of your vision) and peripheral vision (field of vision). Ocular albinism is one of the eye conditions you must tell the DVLA you have, since it often causes poor visual acuity and other vision problems. Some people with ocular albinism also have difficulty with depth perception, making driving difficult.

Speak to your ophthalmologist for advice about driving. If your child's ophthalmologist thinks their vision won't meet the minimum standard for driving when they reach 17 years old, you can help them learn to travel in other ways. For example, they can learn the skills they'll need for getting around safely, and how to use public transport. 

Access to Work is a scheme that gives employers grants to help pay for equipment or services you need for work. A grant could help you get safely to and from work if you can't use public transport or pay for a support worker.

Support for people living with ocular albinism

There's lots of practical advice to help manage changes to your sight, but talking to someone can also help you deal with the complicated feelings that come with managing your eye condition.

Edited and reviewed by Susie Baker, Principal Vision Rehabilitation Specialist on 21 May 2025

Guide Dogs is committed to working alongside people with a range of vision impairments, who are registered as either sight-impaired or severely sight-impaired.

Our staff undergo comprehensive training in supporting individuals with vision impairment, to enable us to support you every step of the way through one of our many services, with and without dogs. We foster knowledge of living with vision impairment and create content in collaboration with our Vision Rehabilitation Specialists and Habilitation Specialists.

This content is periodically reviewed as we continue to embrace new knowledge and up-to-date information, in order to improve how we deliver our services and advice.