Dunedin man Lance Patterson doesn't seek apologies from school bullies but wants to raise awareness about albinism.
Mr Patterson (45) said it was difficult starting at a mainstream school being a blind 11-year-old boy with white skin and pink eyes.
The ''nasty'' bullying about his albinism included name calling of ''abominable snowman'' and ''bright eyes''.
The bullying often turned physical with attackers punching him, or firing sewing pins in him with ''guns'' made from ballpoint pens.
The bullying made him contemplate suicide.
''Bullying is something no kid should have to go through. It scars you.''
In his adult years, some bullies called to make peace and a tormentor called after he lost his legs in a workplace accident and confessed, he now knew what it was like to be bullied.
Mr Patterson did not want apologies but wanted people to have a greater understanding of albinism.
''My parents had no idea. Plunket told Mum to put me in the sun because I was a bit white,'' he laughed.
His parents were not ''albinos'' and of their five children, the three with albinism called the other two children ''pigmentos'', because of the pigment in their eyes, skin and hair.
The five children would play together outside and the skin of those with albinism would blister quickly.
''Mum would chuck us in a bath and pour vinegar on the blisters to take the sting away. She had her cures,'' he laughed.
Now, he had a prescription for free sunscreen but avoided daylight and enjoyed the Dunedin winter.
''I come to work, it's dark and I leave work, it's dark. It is a blessing.''
In popular culture, the ''albino'' character was often a villain, or had magical powers, and people with albinism were still discriminated against, particularly in Africa.
In Tanzania, people with albinism were hunted for their limbs because witch doctors paid top dollar to brew potions with the appendages.
''They think we have magical powers. If I had magical powers, do you think I'd be working for money?'' he laughed.
He started working in the Receivables Management call centre in Dunedin 11 years ago.
He had been promoted to a collections officer and had his own office to manage a portfolio of overdue accounts.
He believed he was one of the best collection officers in the company, which could be hard to swallow for some.
''No-one likes being beaten by a blind man,'' he chuckled.
Although he was registered as fully blind at the Blind Foundation, he had limited vision.
He used a computer program which altered screen graphics so bright and dark areas were inverted to reduce glare. He used a magnifying image enhancer to read and write paperwork.
The ''little bit of sight'' plus the equipment gave him capacity to work.
He moved from Waikato to Dunedin to marry the ''Southern girl'' he met in an internet chat room.
He and his wife, Helen Patterson, live in Concord with their three children, Dayna Goosselink, Lochlan Patterson and Jaydon Patterson.
The boys are his biological children.
''Lochlan is not albino but he hates the light like me. It's a trait passed down, but I tell you what, he's got the eyes of a hawk.''
Mr Patterson was pleased today was the inaugural World Albinism Awareness Day because albinism needed to be discussed more.
Social media had made it easier to talk to other New Zealanders with albinism and on the first Monday of every month, he facilitated a Skype forum for people with albinism to talk.
''We talk about anything - anything that is worrying people - we talk about driverless cars, skin care, types of eye disease, right down to weather.''
Albinism NZ national organiser Allen Little, of Levin, said there were about 75 children known to have albinism in New Zealand.
Albinism NZ aimed to help those children progress on pathways to success and promoted understanding and positive attitudes about albinism.
People with albinism
• Have absent or reduced levels of pigment in their eyes, skin or hair.
• Have inherited genes which do not make the usual amounts of a pigment called melanin, which is essential for the full development of the eyes' retinas.
• Have variations of white hair, pale skin.
• Have eye colour variations of grey, mauve or pink.
• About one person in every 17,000 has some type of albinism.
• Today is the first World Albinism Awareness Day.
SOURCE: ALBINISM NZ
