- 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.
2 replies on “Debunk Dwarfism Stereotypes”
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Most of us are the only person with dwarfism in our family