When people with dwarfism and other disabilities encounter ignorance, insincerity, and inequity I’m compelled to speak up, take action, or write something. Guided by faith and justice, I write to advance advocacy and awareness. My intent is to stir understanding not pity, advocacy not apathy, and hope not despair.
After writing a dwarfism memoir trilogy and 223 blog posts, the sixth anniversary of my blog launch makes it an excellent time to assess the impact of these writings. Have I stirred up understanding, advocacy, and hope? Has awareness improved? Has my example encouraged others?
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Finding the answer to these questions is challenging given reader habits. Buyers frequently shelve a book to read at a later date, blog subscribers often hold off clicking on a post link until they have more time, and many social media browsers only read a post’s introductory paragraph without clicking for the full story. And after reading a post or book, few write a comment. As a result, my analysis is limited to feedback coming from those who give their opinion with a review, comment, or share. For book reviews, I go to Amazon and Goodreads; for comments, I scan my author website and social media; for shared content, I check Facebook and Feedspot Today. The listing of my blog in Feedspot’s “80 Best Disability Blogs to Follow in 2026,” https://bloggers.feedspot.com/disability_blogs/, and “Top 100 Disability Blogs” every year since 2022 is an endorsement based on posting frequency, subject expertise, and the relevancy and freshness of content. Applying these criteria is helpful in this self-assessment.
Although my blog post frequency is predictable, changing circumstances have revised the schedule. For the first four years, intensive book marketing called for weekly posts. In year five, my husband Robert’s declining health and increased needs reduced posting to twice a month; his death triggered a five month grieving pause. In year six, I scaled back to monthly posts but doubled the word count. Thankfully, these changes haven’t caused readers to unsubscribe.
My subject expertise is based on decades living at 40 inches in height with dwarfism and skeletal dysplasia. Combined with law degrees from New Zealand and the United States, legal practice, and professional writing experience, I’m able to write boldly on diverse disability issues. My Christian faith influences my world view and gives me hope and wisdom. All of this feeds into my choice of topics. The following is a selection of posts featured in Feedspot Today as both relevant and fresh with comments picked from my author website or Facebook page:
“Shocking Seat Belt Violations.” May 6, 2026. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/shocking-seat-belt-violations/
Comments:
- Good grief! Where has common sense gone?
- Such a fine is definitely a $hock! Appalling. Utterly ridiculous and revenue gathering of the worst kind. Maureen
“Mobility Scooter Refused Boarding.” April 1, 2026. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/mobility-scooter-refused-boarding/
Comment: Gritting my teeth as I read. I feel very embarrassed that Qantas has treated you with such disrespect. Julie
“Accessible” Public Bathrooms: Hits and Misses.” March 3, 2026. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/accessible-public-bathrooms-hits-and-misses/
Comment: Very true, but unfortunately time does not seem to have made a difference??!! Deborah
“Pregnancy Centers Under Fire.” January 7, 2026. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/pregnancy-centers-under-fire/
Comment: Prayers for all the life-affirming pregnancy resource centers. Susan
“Institutional Care.” June 4, 2025. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Institutional+Care
Comment: What a wonderful way to recount the faithfulness of God. Sarah
“Halt Traffic Violence to Vulnerable Pedestrians with ADA Enforcement.” June 10, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/halt-traffic-violence-to-vulnerable-pedestrians-with-ada-enforcement/
“FOUR MILLION NEW BOOKS A YEAR: Write Reviews to Help People Pick What to Read.” May 6, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=YEAR%3A+Write+Reviews+to+Help+People+Pick+What+to+Read
“Always an Advocate” book review: Angela stands alone as THE guide book for how to actually make the changes that we need to see in society. [This book] arms you with the level of analysis and thinking we need as a movement to succeed. ~ Rebecca
“Kitchen Table or ICU Decisions?” April 15, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/kitchen-table-or-icu-decisions/
5 shares and 3 of 51 comments:
- You continue to educate and advocate. Genevieve
- Such wise counsel. Stephanie
- Thanks you for making people aware of this in such a personal story. Paulette
“What’s It Like To Be Little?” November 25, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=What’s+It+Like+To+Be+Little%3F
Comment: How exasperating that in spite of all the hard work that you and other small people have done to get all sorts of things lowered by law, a hospital entry phone is still positioned out of reach! Sue
“Relief In Sight for Anguished Airline Passengers with Wheelchairs.” March 4, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Relief+In+Sight+for+Anguished+
“Are We There Yet?” January 29, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/are-we-there-yet/
Comment: I had no idea of the degree of difficulty. Sandy
“MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT: Proposed for State and Local Government Entities.” January 15, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/medical-diagnostic-equipment-proposed-for-state-and-local-government-entities/
“Unparalleled Year of Us.” January 1, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Unparalleled+Year+of+Us
Comment: Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights. Sandy
“AIRLINE PASSENGERS with DISABILITIES have RIGHTS: What’s in Our Bill?” December 18, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/airline-passengers-with-disabilities-have-rights-whats-in-our-bill/
“PATIENTS HAVE RIGHTS: What’s in Their Bill?” December 11, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/patients-have-rights-whats-in-their-bill/
Comment: Makes sobering reading Angela. So good that you voice the issues that badly need addressing. Shirley
“Special Education Mandate Honored.” December 4, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=SPECIAL+EDUCATION+MANDATE+HONORED
Comment: Thank goodness this law was passed. I remember a boy with autism in my first grade class [75 years ago]. The teacher sent him outside to play much of the time. Sandy
Van Accessible Parking Predicament.” November 13, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Van+Accessible+Parking+Predicament
Comment: I agree 100% that the accessible parking spaces (not including the very few van spaces) are often also too small to help the passenger in and out of the vehicle. Deborah
“Successful Authors Write and Talk.” November 6, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Successful+Authors+Write+and+Talk
“International Dwarfism Awareness Day.” October 23, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=International+Dwarfism+Awareness+Day
Comment: What a wealth of great material to grow in understanding and find encouragement! Julie
“Is Dwarfism a Disability Under the ADAAA?” September 25, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/is-dwarfism-a-disability-under-the-adaaa/ (7 Facebook shares)
“PHYSICAL THERAPY: Move and Improve.” September 18, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=+PHYSICAL+THERAPY%3A+Move+and+Improve+
Comment: Thanks for helping me understand how physical therapy offers treatment that can help someone stand and walk without problems. Zachary
Although the five posts from June to December 2025 in the “Until Death Do Us Part” series, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/category/until-death-do-us-part/, were not featured in Feedspot daily posts, a sampling of responses from readers on the caregiving and grief journey shows that they were helped.
Comments:
- Through healing, your blog will help all those grieving who are bearing the loss of a loved one. Leann
- You give us strength, courage, and renewed faith in God’s providential care for our own journeys that lie ahead of us. Jeanne
- Thanks for sharing this encouraging story of love, care and community. Jean
- Isn’t it amazing how God gives us the ability and strength we need, in order to do difficult things? Much of this reminded me of such times in my own journey. Barbara
- Thank you for being faithful to God, and making it possible for Robert to spend his last years with you in his own home. Juliette
Despite other posts also missing the cut for a Feedspot feature, the impact of three particular posts warrant honorable mention:
“Keynote Speaker at Star Spangled Awards Banquet.” July 15, 2024. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/keynote-speaker-at-star-spangled-awards-banquet/ prompted 111 Facebook comments, such as:
- Your speech definitely sent the message that we all need to be advocates for each other. Kim
- Your words were heartfelt and relatable. Susie
- Great, great address!! Keep fighting!!! Joan
“Barrier Removal Beats Awareness.” May 8, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Barrier+Removal+Beats+Awareness
Comment:
- “I haven’t conquered yet, but I’m on a mission to get a few stores to lower at least one Point of Sale terminal. Susie
“Finding Hugo: Our Wheelchair Accessible Van.” September 26, 2022. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/?s=Finding+Hugo%3A+Our+Wheelchair+Accessible+Van generated 14 website comments.
The purpose of this blog impact analysis is not to assign a letter grade. But rather to help me decide if this blog has reached the end of it’s useful life. What do you think?