Brad Aldridge

Brad Aldridge surprises many people when he tells them he is an artist and a magician. Originally from Southern California, he is currently a junior at UC Berkeley and is working toward a career in commercial art, advertising, and design of newspapers and magazines. He enjoys art as a medium for expression because, he says, “You can present more meanings laid out in real life.” Brad is Production Manager of The Daily Californian, an independent, student-run newspaper serving Berkeley campus and its surrounding community. He has shown his innovative talents with his design work of the UC Berkeley Alumni Association newsletter and a new marketing program called The Daily Cal Press Pass. Magic is also one of Brad’s interests: he designs and maintains an online magician magazine called Genii Magazine. He also held a one-week performance at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the world-famous home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

Brad was born with Ocular Albinism; his mother and both of his sisters are carriers for OA, and he has three cousins with the condition. However, it doesn’t seem to be a major obstacle in his life. In fact, he states, “It seems to bother other people more than me.” For example, an older woman once approached him in a restaurant after she saw him leaning over the table and holding the menu close to his face. She had taught her kids to sit with proper posture by tying their hair to the back of their chairs, and was troubled that Brad leaned forward in his seat. When Brad explained that he was visually impaired and had to lean to see his meal, she was able to understand his behavior.

In addition to admiring Walt Disney as a showman and an artist, Brad follows a “just do it” attitude. “It’s awkward for me to know that I’m different or unusual,” he reflects, “but you gotta be what you are. You can’t use that as an excuse. It’s totally up to you. No one with a visual impairment is normal. No one with 20/20 vision is normal. Everyone is unique.”

Chris Benjamin

Chris, who has Oculocutaneous Albinism, remembers learning about albinism when he did a research project in elementary school. He has had very supportive teachers who have taught him how to use CCTVs, large-print textbooks, and binoculars; they have also permitted him to have additional time to finish exams to compensate for his vision problems. These educational programs have helped Chris succeed at school.

Chris attends St. Petersburg College in Florida and studies Business and Management; his ultimate goal is to work with a Fortune 500 company or a financial and banking institution. At the same time, he wants to follow his overall passion of politics and law-making. After his grandmother died from scleroderma, a chronic connective tissue disease, Chris gained insight into public policy and law. He has been involved with the Scleroderma Foundation as an advocate, working with other constituents to obtain a $500,000 grant for research through the US House of Representatives. In addition, he hopes to work with a state senator to recognize albinism with proclamations, as well as to create a bill in Florida to legalize bioptic driving, allowing individuals with low vision to drive with a telescope attached to their glasses.

Being African American but light-skinned, Chris often meets people who are confused or shocked when they ask him about his ethnicity. His advice for people with albinism: “You should be informed with what you have.” He feels that you should “be ready to give that information” and information about organizations like VOC or NOAH to educate others about low vision. “I know now that having albinism is a chance to let people be aware of this rare disorder and [to let them know] how a person with albinism functions on a daily basis.”