Category: Awareness

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Awareness

Share the Love of Books

Book

February 14th is for sharing the love of books and reading and, of course, for sharing love with your valentine. It’s hard to miss Valentine’s Day, but how did I miss International Book Giving Day? It’s been active since 2012 and is celebrated in 44 countries, including the United States. Whatever the reason for missing it in the past, now I know to use it to increase access to and enthusiasm for books.

As a child, my siblings and I didn’t go to bed with square eyes from watching too much television, rather we went to bed with a book to read. Little did we know how much this contributed to our language development, critical thinking ability, social cues, emotional intelligence, and imagination. When Amy Broadmoore, the United Kingdom co-founder of Book Giving Day, noticed how many children didn’t have books to read, she made it a goal to get as many new, used, and borrowed books into the hands of children as possible.

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So how do people celebrate Book Giving Day? Here’s a list of ideas:

  1. Gift a Book: Select a new or gently used book that you love or think someone else would enjoy. Give it to a friend, family member, coworker, or child in your community. To gift books on dwarfism, check out my website for ideas:

2. Donate Books: Local libraries, schools, shelters, foster homes, orphanages, thrift stores, or community centers are typically ready to accept book donations. You can also donate to non-profit organizations that focus on sharing books with people without access to them, such as: Books for Africa, Book Aid International, the Book Bus, the Prison Book Program, and Kids Need to Read.

3. Organize a Book Drive: Gather books from your community and organize a book drive. Encourage others to contribute, and then distribute the collected books to those in need.

4. Leave a book somewhere: You may “accidentally” leave a book in a doctor’s office waiting room, on public transit, and other places for someone else to pick up and read. You can inscribe the book on the first page to show whoever picks up the book it’s theirs to read and pass on to the next person.

5. Organize or join a book exchange program (for children or adults): It’s not only about handing out books; you can also trade them. See for example, Bookmooch which allows people to receive used books in exchange for donating their own books.

As for me, I commit to gifting one of the books in my dwarfism memoir trilogy (winners choice as to which one) to the first person who emails me this week at angela@angelamuirvanetten.com to report celebrating Book Gifting Day in one of the five ways listed above. 

Photo credit: Image by GraphicMama-team. https://pixabay.com/vectors/book-character-glasses-show-1773756/

You may also want to read blog posts about books by Angela Muir Van Etten:

Categories
Awareness

International Dwarfism Awareness Day

Billy Barty & friends

Every year since 2012, International Dwarfism Awareness Day celebrates little people on October 25th, the birthday of Billy Barty, the founder of Little People of America (LPA). My contribution to this day is to highlight some tweets and articles that have been published through the years.

As you celebrate in 2023, spread awareness on social media with #DwarfismAwarenessDay and #DwarfPride.

TWEETS

Little People of America:

Our 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐃𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 is available now! Show off your LP pride and that #LPAisLOVE! Orders can be placed at https://bit.ly/3Qtj3DM. August 5, 2023.

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The National Advisory Board:

  1. Dwarfism Awareness Month, serves as an invaluable opportunity to generate awareness: dispelling myths, and stereotypes while working to build a greater understanding and acceptance of people with dwarfism. October 16, 2023.
  2. . . . “We are people with all the hopes, dreams, passions, and faults of everyone else,” LPA Founder, Billy Barty. October 12, 2023.

Naffe Tusbola Foundation:

People with dwarfism still face barriers that limit their choices & opportunities TODAY! Please RT to stand in solidarity with Ugandan LPs who are socially & economically excluded, taunted & treated as lesser than others. October 25, 2022.

Danielle Marie Webb:

We must challenge the everyday experiences of ignorance, discrimination and hate. And celebrate the phenomenal contribution to our communities. October 25, 2022.

Gareth Mason:

Today people with Dwarfism still face social and physical barriers that stand in the way of choices and opportunities, this has to change! October 25, 2021.

Angela Muir Van Etten:

LPA Milestones. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/lpa-milestones/ from “Always an Advocate,” Part I, Volunteer Leadership Challenges, chapters 1 & 2, available on Amazon US and UK. October 25, 2021.

Jennifer Arnold, MD:

. . . Join our family in celebrating little people – unite in overcoming the barriers, discrimination, & misconceptions! October 25, 2020.

Lawrence Villepto

LES preschool teachers wore green in support of Nat’l Dwarfism Awareness Day & Month, and read “Not too big … not too small … just right for me,” designed to educate students about dwarfism. October 27, 2020.

Steph @HelloLittleLady BSc (Hons) MA

. . . In this thread, I wanted to share our perspectives of being a Dwarf through participants’ t/photos from the #YoureJustLittle exhibition. 1/ October 25, 2019.

How am I celebrating #DwarfismAwarenessDay? With my family, having an ordinary day, getting on with life, changing the world one photograph (and podcast) at a time. Please RT the first post and show the world our perspectives! Thanks! #DisabilityArts End/ October 25, 2019.

Warwick Davis two short films produced for @LPUKOnline (October 25, 2018):

  1. . . . about ‘anti-social photography’. . .
  2. . . . about using a child’s natural curiosity to teach them about dwarfism.

Cara Reedy:

It’s Dwarfism Awareness Day and in honor of that I am launching my new podcast. Infamously Short Shorts-Tales of The Average Heighted Sideshow. October 25, 2018.

Samantha Trubyk:

Happy Dwarfism Awareness Day! I’m wearing my green and excited to start the day! October 25, 2017.

ARTICLE LINKS:

Joe Pagonakis. “Parma man with a tall spirit shares his story during Dwarfism Awareness Month.” October 17, 2023. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/parma-man-with-a-tall-spirit-shares-his-story-during-dwarfism-awareness-month

Erin Pritchard. “Why We Need to Put a Different Kind of Spotlight on Dwarfism.” October 2, 2023. The Mighty. https://themighty.com/topic/dwarfism/addressing-stereotypes-dwarfism-awareness-month/

Angela Muir Van Etten. “Dwarfism Sensitivity & Awareness.” Blog post. October 24, 2022. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/dwarfism-sensitivity–awareness/

Nick Sorensen. “Dwarfism Awareness Month.” First at 4, Erie News Now. https://www.erienewsnow.com/clip/15426993/dwarfism-awareness-month?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_ErieNewsNow

Sallee Ann Harrison. “This is America: How my son taught me to embrace dwarfism.” USA TODAY. October 21, 2022. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/21/dwarfism-awareness-month-embracing-dwarfism-with-son/10544447002/

Angela Muir Van Etten. “Dwarf Tossing Throwback.” Blog post. March 8, 2021. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/dwarf-tossing-throwback/

Dwarfism Awareness Month with LPA. 2020. https://www.lpaonline.org/assets/documents/Dwarfism%20Awareness%20Presentation.pdf

Michelle Kraus. “Dwarfism Awareness Month: A Bit of LPA’s History.” [maybe 2020]. https://vimeo.com/297637342/33db98941e

Stephanie Rodriguez. “Mom shares infant daughter’s story for Dwarfism Awareness Day.” Oct 23, 2020 (Updated Aug 24, 2022). https://www.wqow.com/news/daybreak/mom-shares-infant-daughter-s-story-for-dwarfism-awareness-day/article_eee02390-6ae4-5707-8eff-f012d672cbcb.html

Jade Hayden. “Sinéad Burke and toy company team up to create little person doll for World Dwarfism Awareness Day.” Life. October 26, 2019. https://her.ie/life/sinead-burke-toy-company-team-create-little-person-doll-world-dwarfism-awareness-day-486784

Carly Kutner. “Dwarfism Awareness Month: A Recap.” The Joy of Mira blog. October 26, 2017. https://www.thejoyofmira.com/blog/2017/10/26/dwarfism-awareness-month-a-recap

“Federal Way photographer tells family’s story in Dwarfism Awareness Month photo essay.” October 20, 2015. https://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/federal-way-photographer-tells-familys-story-in-dwarfism-awareness-month-photo-essay/

To dig deeper, go to Angela Muir Van Etten’s dwarfism book trilogy, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/

Categories
Awareness

Dwarfism Memoir Trilogy Punctuated with Triple Threads

Trilogy Complete

After 33 years my dwarfism memoir trilogy is finally complete. Three books in a little more than three decades about God’s three gifts of grace in my life—faith, hope, and love. As it happens, the word “three” has emerged as a thread in this cradle to retirement memoir series.

ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities (#3) is organized into three parts: Part I considers volunteer leadership challenges; Part II covers dwarf tossing; and Part III deals with equal access. The book is available in three formats: e-book, paperback, and audio.

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Part I discusses the three times Robert or I served as LPA President during the years membership grew from about 3,000 in 1980 to 6,000 in 2006. Part II addresses LPA’s action to halt the dwarf tossing atrocity in three states—Illinois, Florida, and New York. Part III involves equal access to the built environment, education, emergency operations, housing, social security disability benefits, transportation, and voting. It took three years to break the six-inch reach barrier in the built environment standing against three of the most powerful industries in the nation—banking, oil, and retail.

PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith (#2) is available in both print and as an e-book. Our marriage was cemented with three marriage ceremonies in 1981. The wedding and anniversary rings on three fingers of my left hand symbolize our commitment.

Though if one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:12, New International Version

Robert and I met when I came from New Zealand to America for three months on a Winston Churchill Fellowship. I obtained an American law degree after attending law school for three semesters. Despite passing the three day Ohio bar exam, I experienced discrimination in three job interviews.

After a three-hour hip replacement surgery in 1997, Robert tanked up on three pints of blood. When he forgot to bring his electric razor to the hospital, a hand razor was off limits for three weeks because he was on a blood thinner. We couldn’t decide if the resulting beard gave him the distinguished professor or garden gnome look.

Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses (#1) is available as an e-book and used print copies. It took three photo shoots on bitterly cold days to get the right cover photo image.

I’m the eldest of three children and Robert has three younger brothers. Our adult height is the size of a three year old. When I was a bridesmaid for the third time, someone said, “If you’re a bridesmaid three times, you’ll never be married yourself.” Don’t believe everything you hear.

So what do all these threes mean? Whatever you want to read into it. Maybe not a triple crown, but certainly three opportunities to learn about dwarfism in childhood, marriage, and advocacy. Read and change your life for the better!

[In recognition of National Book Lovers Day on August 9, 2023, this post updates “DWARFISM TRILOGY COMPLETE: Recurring Pattern of Three Emerges.” Angela Muir Van Etten blog post (September 27, 2021).]

Resources for digging deeper:

Categories
Awareness

Barrier Removal Beats Awareness

Robert barrier removal

As one among 60 or so million people with disabilities in the United States, National Barrier Awareness Day is not a day that I need. Everyday I’m fully aware of barriers that impede the integration of people with disabilities in society. Yet the day is definitely needed by the people without disabilities who erect discriminatory barriers that exclude us from accessing education, employment, the built environment, health care, housing, and myriads of other programs and services.

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When President Ronald Reagan first promulgated the day on May 07, 1986 he recognized that barriers inhibit or prevent so many of our fellow Americans from participating fully in the life of our society. He lamented the effect of barriers blocking the contribution of people with disabilities. However, his proclamation merely called for public understanding and awareness.

Reagan stopped short of calling for barrier removal. Instead he erroneously called for the public to appreciate the barriers people with disabilities must surmount. Absolutely not! We are not obliged to surmount barriers.

Today our focus must be on barrier removal. Just as Reagan boldly demanded Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, people with disabilities must demand offenders to tear down disability barriers. The time for soft-peddling and awareness programs won’t get the job done.

This year’s barrier awareness day requires a call for removal of barriers that obstruct major life activities like bending, breathing, caring for one’s self, communicating, concentrating, driving, eating, hearing, lifting, learning, parking, performing manual tasks, reaching, reading, seeing, shopping, sleeping, standing, talking, thinking, walking, wheeling, and working.

Given my stature of 40 inches, I’m continually confronted by reach barriers. For example in the last two weeks I’ve been unable to reach amenities in a hotel, medical building, dental office, and school. The hotel had several reach barriers:

  • The check in counter was above my head making communication with the customer service representative difficult and signing the signature pad impossible.
  • The bed was too high to climb onto.
  • The thermostat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit was too cold, but was too high to change.
  • Service counters at the breakfast buffet and chef station were too high. We could not see or serve our own food.

At the medical center, a new self-check in machine was installed above my husband’s head and at the dentist, the receptionist was hidden behind a wall that was above my head. At the school I was visiting, the door was locked for security purposes and I was unable to reach the doorbell to announce my arrival. I also had to straddle two parking spaces due to there being no van accessible parking.

Although staff and friends provided an alternative means of accessing services in these scenarios, they all deprived me of independent use of the facility. As you can see, the necessity for barrier removal is frequent and the continuing need to tear down disability barriers can be overwhelming and requires perseverance.

            What barriers have you persevered in tearing down?

Read more about breaking down barriers in book three of my dwarfism memoir trilogy, “ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities,”https://angelamuirvanetten.com/always-an-advocate/.

Categories
Awareness

Debunk Dwarfism Stereotypes

Clown
  1. Our Height Doesn’t Define Us

Negative names focus on our height: midget, pint-size, runt, shorty, shrimp, and stumpy. But our essence is not measured in inches or based on appearance. Dwarf pride comes from our abilities, character, personality, preferences, heart, soul, spirit, and size.

2. We Are Equal

We are robbed of equality when elevated to a pedestal as heroes or downgraded to victims needing pity and special treatment. Our equality demands acceptance for who we are, inclusion, and accommodations for a level playing field.

3. We Are Not Children

Condescending conversation amplified with a pat on the head, soliciting our response from another adult, and ignoring our presence by reaching over our head to jump the line all need to stop. People with dwarfism must challenge child-like treatment with adult confidence, correction, language, topics, tone, and behavior.

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4. We Are Not All Entertainers (Clowns & Characters)

Little people don’t appreciate strangers offering us a circus job, mistaking us for a performer in a visiting Muppet Show, or inviting us to a Saint Patrick’s Day parade as a leprechaun. Entertainment is one among many career paths little people choose. We are also well represented in professions, trades, service industry, and the arts. We don’t exist exclusively to entertain and amuse the public.

5. We Are Not Needy & Helpless

Little people are not obliged to accept help especially when it’s not needed. Overzealous helpers undermine our independence. We should inform helpers it’s okay to ask if help is needed, but they must accept a “no thanks” reply.

6. We Don’t Only Marry Other Little People

Having height in common is insufficient commonality to make for a happy marriage. People with dwarfism enjoy happy marriages with people of short, average, and tall stature.

7. We Don’t All Know Each Other

An Englishman once told me, “I know your friend.” He was referring to a little person in the UK, a place I had yet to visit and where I didn’t know any people of short stature. Such irrational claims need to be challenged.

8. We Don’t All Look Alike

Many strangers don’t distinguish between us, even when we’re different ages, heights, hair color, and proportions. For example, many little people report being mistaken for reality TV stars, Matt or Amy Roloff from Little People, Big World. It’s important to refute the error, maintain our own identity, and stand our ground when people don’t believe us.

9. We Are Not Carbon Copies Of One Another

Dwarfs do not have the same interests or make the same choices. For example:

  • Some lower kitchen counters and others use stools or climb.
  • Some drive with pedal extensions and others use hand controls.
  • Some couples have biological children, some adopt, and others have no children.
  • In conversation with average-size people, some prefer they kneel down or crouch for eye-to-eye communication and others don’t want any concession to height differences.

10. We Are Not Always Happy

Little people have just as many ups and downs as other people. We don’t all have a happy gene.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/vectors/clown-crazy-happy-funny-cartoon-1295519/s

This post was based in part on excerpts from the first book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses.” For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog and find information and buy links to my books.

Categories
Awareness

Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses: 35-Year Anniversary

Dwarfs Don't Live

Written by baby boomer Angela Muir Van Etten, Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses—published in 1988—has influenced three generations of readers: baby boomers, Gen X, and millennials. The 2021 e-book release makes discovery by Gen Z possible.

Baby boomer Karen described it as “a great book with pride of place on her bookshelf.” After discovering the book in a secondhand bookstore, Millennial Clinton stated, “We picked up this gem because you learn about identity and your people in history by reading the stories and the books they write.” Jenn responded to his Facebook post saying, “I remember this book from when I was a kid!”

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Indeed the book is my history of growing up in New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s. When introducing the digital edition, I alerted readers to consider it as a time capsule for how little people and their families experienced life prior to disability civil rights laws. I anticipated that readers would recognize that despite passage of laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, human behavior has not changed. Consequently, the book remains relevant for disability issues that continue to this day: acceptance, advocacy, attitudinal and environmental barriers, bullying, dating, dwarf tossing, employment discrimination and reasonable accommodations, inclusion in education et al.

Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses has led the way in dwarfism memoirs and is probably the first written by a little person. As noted on the back cover it’s “a unique opportunity to see personal, family, school and public life through the eyes of a dwarf from the point of view of a single person.”

At the time of it’s 1988 publication, the memoir was endorsed by a psychologist with dwarfism, Leonard Sawisch; author and anthropology professor, Joan Ablon;the Chairman of the Little People of America (LPA) Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Charles Scott, Jr., and two parents of adult children with dwarfism, LPA National Parent Coordinator, Helen Ference and Elizabeth Elder. Sawisch noted the keen insight into the dwarf experience. Scott applauded the wealth of experience and wisdom made animatedly realistic, personal, revealing and at times humorous. Ablon characterized it as a rare window into the life experiences of a dwarf child, teenager, and young adult. Elder heightened her awareness and confessed to not realistically seeing life as a little person experiences it.

Throughout the years, readers have commented favorably. One mother of a short-statured child told me, “I keep your book by my bedside and refer to it frequently.” Readers with dwarfism report finding wisdom and help. Average height work colleagues appreciated having misconceptions dispelled and being informed of everyday obstacles a little person overcomes. In January 2022, Rebecca wrote on my Goodreads page: “Very thought provoking read. Angela does a good job of bringing the reader into her life. Definitely recommend reading this book to help remind yourself not to “judge a book by it’s cover.”

So how about you? If you’re ready to grab one of the 4,000 print books originally sold, get a used copy at Amazon.com while supplies last.

For more about my dwarfism memoir trilogy read:

A voice for people with dwarfism & disability guided by faith and justice. https://angelamuirvanetten.com

Categories
Awareness

Popular Children’s Books on Dwarfism

Girls reading

“We all need to read books where the heroes are relatable to our own selves. It’s even more important for kids. It helps develop hope, solutions, connection and a strong sense of identity, belonging.”

Meriah Nichols, deaf mom to three children with disabilities

In honor of International Children’s Book Day on April 2nd, I compiled a list of children’s books on dwarfism in order of their popularity on Amazon. A complete booklist is available in the resources section of my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/resources/#childrenbooks. Please contact me if you know of books missing from the list.

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Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon 
by Patty Lovell (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)
August 27, 2001

Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy. When bullied on her first day in a new school she remembers her grandmother’s advice.
Reading age: 3 – 6 years

Break the Mould: How to Take Your Place in the World
by Sinéad Burke
October 15, 2020

Drawing on her own experiences as a little person, Burke encourages readers to believe in themselves, have pride in who they are, and make the world a more inclusive place.
Reading age: ‎ 9 – 13 years

Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) 
by Lori Orlinsky 
February 11, 2022 

A picture book about the shortest kid in the class who is scared to go to school. Her mother instills self-confidence in her by pointing out the advantages of being short.
Reading age: ‎ 2 – 6 years

Short 
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
January 9, 2018

Julia is very short for her age, but she discovers her own sense of self when playing a munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz” after befriending Olive, an adult with dwarfism in the production.
Reading age: ‎ 8 – 12 years

The Thing About Georgie 
by Lisa Graff  
August 26, 2008

A warm and humorous novel starring an unforgettable young boy with dwarfism.
Reading age:‎ 7 – 10 years

Little Imperfections: A Tall Tale of Growing Up Different
by Peet Montzingo & Rockwell Sands 
November 1, 2022 

In this picture book, Montzingo is the only “tall” sibling in a family of little people. He addresses being different, feeling like you don’t fit in, and finding yourself.
Reading age: ‎ 4 years and up

Short Or Tall Doesn’t Matter At All
by Asaf Rozanes
February 3, 2018

This illustrated story delivers the anti-bullying message about a little girl who is picked on in school because she is short and helps young kids understand they are not alone.
Reading age: 3 – 8 years

Mummy There’s a New Girl 
by Danielle Webb
June 24, 2021

When a new girl joins the class, children pick on her for her looks, but one little boy looks past her differences and learns that really – size is no big deal!
Reading age: ‎ Baby – 7 years

Louie’s Together Playground 
by Dr. Nicole Julia (Author), Jeff Crowther (Illustrator)
January 23, 2023

Louie is a llama with dwarfism who, together with his friends, dreams up a plan to bring the very first all-inclusive playground to their town.
Reading age: 2 – 7 years

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/girls-books-reading-read-library-5711423/

Categories
Awareness Disability Rights

Tips for Achieving Positive Media Coverage

Microphone

The media is often the public’s first introduction to little people. The image portrayed will be what sticks in people’s minds when we meet in person. As a result, it’s critical for people with dwarfism to conduct interviews that generate positive pieces in print, digital, online, radio, or television outlets. The following headlines show this can be done:

  • “What’s so bad about being little?”
  • “Short is pretty good: Children with dwarfism learn to stand tall in world proportioned for others.”
  • “Honest Reaction Beats Being Ignored says Little Person Lawyer.”
  • “Little People Group Wants To Show Size Isn’t Everything.”

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During my 40 years in public service as a legal professional and volunteer advocate, I’ve been interviewed almost 11 dozen times on issues related to organizations of people with dwarfism and disabilities, my Winston Churchill Fellowship, marriage, employment, dwarf tossing, public transportation, and publication of my dwarfism trilogy memoir. This experience informs the views expressed in this post.

Before deciding to do a media interview, I consider the reputation of the media outlet. If I don’t believe my message will be fairly presented, I decline the interview. This doesn’t mean I avoid forums with an opposing viewpoint, rather I strive for an equitable hearing. However, I do steer clear of outlets inclined to sensationalism and erroneous reporting, such as the paper with this headline about a doctor: “He turns Dwarfs into Giants.”

After agreeing to be interviewed, I focus on my objective—to educate the public or advocate change for people with dwarfism and disabilities. Preparation is the key to meeting this goal. I must be ready to share my message with reporters who don’t know what questions to ask and push back against reporters who ask questions based on a presumption that our lives are miserable. Unless loaded questions about our problems are turned around, little people will continue to be plagued by headlines like this:

  •  “The tall problems of little people.”
  • “Little People Have Big Problems.”
  • “Little People Have Big Woes.”

This is not to say I won’t acknowledge that little people have problems. We do. But to avoid selective reporting on the negative side of my experience, I only mention difficulties that increase the likelihood of effecting change or improving understanding. For example, I often talk about attitudinal barriers that limit my activity. If I mention physical limitations it’s in the context of barrier removal—reasonable accommodations in public facilities or modifications in private spaces.

To avoid the risk of being viewed as sympathy seekers, I stress our similarities, abilities, and equality. It’s better to discuss how we are alike, what people with dwarfism can do, and our equal rights as integrated members of society. This is reflected in the following headlines:

It’s also important to give a quick tutorial on ‘four letter words’ in disability land, —defect, victim, burden, afflicted, abnormal, midget.

For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com, subscribe to my weekly blog, and find buy links to my dwarfism memoir trilogy.

Categories
Awareness Disability Rights

Disabled Caught In Homeless Crisis

homeless man

People with disabilities make up almost one quarter of the half million plus homeless in America. And more than half of homeless veterans are disabled. So on December 21, National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day, let’s zoom in on the homeless crisis for people with disabilities.

Homelessness is primarily concentrated in cities. As exciting as it is for tourists to visit the likes of Boston, New York City, and Washington DC, it’s troubling to see so many homeless people sleeping on the streets.  The national rate for homelessness is 17 per 10,000; in these cities, the rate is well over 100 per 10,000. One fifth of America’s homeless population live in New York City.

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According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a person is homeless if they:

  1. Lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
  2. Stay overnight at a place not ordinarily used for sleeping, such as a car, park, or bus depot;
  3. Occupy temporary residences like homeless shelters or motels paid for by the government or a charity;
  4. Live in a place not meant for human habitation; or
  5. Have nowhere to go after eviction for nonpayment of rent or mortgage, or when fleeing domestic violence and/or human trafficking.

The leading causes of homelessness—unemployment, lack of trustworthy relationships, lack of affordable housing, disability and illness, and abuse—are too complex and diverse to discuss in this post.  But here’s a light touch on disability and illness.

An illness can take away a job, health insurance, a home, and a car. A disability can prevent someone from even entering the workforce. A 2019 national study on homelessness, showed that of those living on the streets 46 percent had physical disabilities. Mental illness accounts for 25 percent of the homeless. And mental illnesses—such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and substance abuse—reportedly affect half of all homeless veterans. Also, veterans who have PTSD often use substances as a way to cope with PTSD symptoms.

The magnitude of the crisis mandates that we take action. Sitting around and doing nothing is unacceptable. Our duty to help those in need dates back to ancient times. In the words of Asaph, we must:  

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
    uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.”
Psalm 82:3, New Living Translation

To help you get started, here are some ideas for helping homeless people with disabilities. Acknowledge their existence. Stop walking by without making eye contact. Say hello. Smile.

Be polite if asked for money. If not comfortable giving money, direct people to a nearby food pantry, meal site, or homeless service center. Support that organization with donations of food, toiletries, clothes and blankets, tents, or whatever else is on their needs list. Volunteer.

And on a larger scale, advocate for the homeless with local businesses and elected representatives to increase resources to address the causes of homelessness and meet the need of those needing a job, training, transportation, health care, and affordable housing.

You may also like to read:

Categories
Awareness Little People of America

DWARFISM SENSITIVITY & AWARENESS

Dwarfism Awareness band

S ─ Speak with a normal voice volume, tone and subject matter. 

  • Don’t change tone of voice to match the one used when speaking to a child.
  • It’s not taboo to use idioms like “It’s a small world.” It was appropriate for an observer to say this when five years after graduation I met someone from my law school class halfway around the world.

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E ─ Equal treatment is expected:

  • Not pity allowing emotions to run amok.
  • Not paternalism; offer a handshake not a handout.
  • Not a pedestal that elevates us to superhero.
  • Not special treatment, but accommodations that level the playing field.

N ─ Names matter. Call someone with dwarfism by their name rather than describe them by their height. Avoid offensive words like midget, crippled, hunchback, retarded, and dumb. Drop the list of demeaning synonyms for short-stature like pint-size, runt, shrimp, shorty, or stumpy.

S ─ See the little person’s character and abilities not the outward appearance.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. New American Standard Bible.

I ─ Independence is highly valued by people with dwarfism as seen in the demand for:

  • Accessible and usable public buildings and facilities.
  • Accessible work spaces and off-site events.
  • Access to public or private transportation, including driving our own vehicle.  

T ─ Treat people with dignity and respect:

  • Service representatives should talk directly to the little person in front of them not to their companion who the representative assumes speaks for them.
  • Don’t condescendingly pat a little person on the head. And certainly don’t reach over a little person’s head to avoid waiting in line.
  • Respect the personal space of someone using a wheelchair or scooter. In other words, the armrest or writing surface is not free space to be appropriated.

I ─ Imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes. Not so that you thank God you are not the one with dwarfism, but to be sensitive to needs.

V ─ Value differences.Remember each little person is an individual and will have their own way of doing things. For example, some lower counters in their homes, others use stools and climb; some drive with pedal extensions, others use hand controls; and, when talking to average-size people, some little people prefer they kneel down or crouch for an eye-to-eye conversation, others don’t want any concession to height differences.  

I ─ Interact as you do with any person. Common courtesy applies. Adults should not ask personal questions. Children are given a pass when their curiosity opens the door to a learning opportunity.

T ─ Take cues from the person with dwarfism. Ask if help is needed before rushing in and creating a problem.

Y ─ be Yourself. Relax. Joke. Smile. Encourage.

This post is based on principles and examples found in books I and II of my dwarfism memoir trilogy: Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses and PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith,https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/.

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