Little People of America

We are excited to add a new employment webinar to our list of events for November. Check out LPA's Calendar of Events for details below.

October 31 - As October comes to a close, we are humbled by the power, passion and pride embedded within your Dwarfism Awareness Month posts. Watching our members and allies share their awareness with others in the community and to the world is inspiring. This year, while the positives have sometimes been hidden by the tumultuous period that we find ourselves in, the insight gained in these harder times can be priceless. The message is clear: be proud of who you are, who your... children are, and feel empowered to share the awareness in your own community. Also, don't be afraid to speak up and advocate for yourself and those that you care about. Everyone in the dwarfism community, as well as the disability community, deserves a chance to chase their passions. With appropriate accommodations there is nothing stopping us! As this month comes to a close, we want to remind you that Dwarfism Awareness doesn’t end today, we encourage you to advocate for the entire dwarfism community, in all of its wonderful diversity. #DwarfismAwareness #DwarfPride #BartyChallenge2020 (Helpful Tip: Click on the video below to make enlarge to slides.)

October 30 - Many LPA members grew up, or are growing up, with average height siblings. Some parents worry about the different attention each child brings or needs, and this is a common question within the community. At times, siblings find extended family members gushing over their LP sister or brother, and have reported feeling forgotten. On the other hand, the LP sibling may not crave any attention at all, and want to be treated as part of the crowd of cousins. In the end,... it’s the relationship between the siblings that matters, and the hard work that each parent puts in to treat everyone as equally as they can. Today, Holly Hays, shares her story as an average height sister below. "Growing up, Gabriel was my wingman, my partner in crime, my one who I could always count on to help with the adventure or take on the challenge. For a long time, I didn’t perceive Gabriel as different than anyone else because he was Gabriel and could do the same things and be in the world like anyone could. Our first experiences with LPA were my first bigger introductions to the dwarfism community, and the wonderful thing about that for me was that it was both a realization of the uniqueness of my brother’s condition but more than anything a celebration of it and a validation of what I had always seen and felt: that Gabriel could do and be all the things. And in the places where he might need a little help or guidance, LPA was there for that. There were many doctors appointments and sometimes hospital stays and some of my parents’ worries filtered down to me too. But oddly, those times also had an element of fun because usually we would stay with family friends, and we would do things like go to the Baltimore aquarium. One thing I have had to adjust to as we have gotten older is how my fierce protectiveness of Gabriel keeps cropping up, but the older we get the more and more I see how 100% capable he is in his own life and how more than anything the best thing I can do for him is get out of his way. I am so grateful to my brother and his friends and his family for helping me be in the world in a bigger, deeper, more conscientious way, and LPA for showing all of us how ours is a world of possibility, not of limitation." Sibling relationships are so valuable and appreciated in this community, and LPA has a wonderful network of AH family members who are vital to our culture! #DwarfismAwareness

October 29 - There are many inter-spatial families within LPA, including those with an LP and an AH parent, LP parents with AH children, LP parents with both LP and AH children, and AH parents with LP children. As mentioned earlier this week, two LPs with the same dominant form of dwarfism have a 25% chance of having an average height child. When LP parents raise AH children, it is often assumed to be challenging, though as Angie Giuffré states, "Raising AH children made me m...ore determined to prove that I could be a wonderful parent, no matter my stature, to any outsider who doubted my ability." Today, we hear from Angie's two children, Michael and Chris, who are both average height. "Our parents met at the 1989 District 12 LPA Regional. We like to imagine that our Dad won over our Mom with his smooth jokes and goofy dance moves (or maybe it was his 80’s mustache). Whatever really took place, we are grateful that they met. LPA has been a part of our lives since we were born, and the people within LPA, have helped shape our lives. Growing up with LP parents has taught us the importance of accepting everybody, regardless of their differences. Our parents taught us to be empathetic and kind, and to always respond with compassion when strangers were curious about their stature. Our parents were often quick to respond to these strangers with a smile and a wave. The examples set forth by our parents and those within LPA still stick with us today, and they remind us that we all are teachers in one way or another. As we’ve grown up, we’ve become more and more appreciative to know so many incredible people within the dwarfism community. LPA has shown us the importance of fighting for social justice and having conversations about the intersectionality of ableism, sexism, and racism throughout our world. This community stands for the values that we believe are so important: inclusivity, equality, and learning from one another. We want to thank LPA for everything they have done for us and our family, and we would not be who we are today without them."

October 28 - Many types of dwarfism are caused by recessive genes, even though each condition may be quite rare. Recessive diagnoses usually happen with two silent (AH) carriers - and most of the time, they have no idea that they carry the gene for this type of dwarfism. When the couple has children, they have a 25% chance in each pregnancy to pass both recessive genes on to their child. Diastrophic Dysplasia and Morquio are two examples of recessive types of dwarfism. Unlike... recessive-carrier couples, LPs with these forms of dwarfism have a much lower chance of passing their forms of dwarfism on to their children, unless their partner has the same type of recessive gene. Meet Allison and John, LP siblings from VA with AH parents and an AH brother. Allison was seven and John was 4 when they were both diagnosed with Morquio A, a recessive form of dwarfism. Today, Allison is an Educational Consultant for Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems and John is a Manager of Reporting and Data Analytics at Anthem. As Allison says, "We’ve always had a very close relationship, and there’s something really incredible about having another person in my family who understands my experience as an LP." Growing up with one another and learning to embrace their experiences together sounds like it was empowering! Thank you to Allison and John for sharing their perceptions and their story.

October 27 - Most people who have dwarfism have a diagnosis which is caused by a single, dominant, genetic mutation. There is no reason for the change - it’s not your fault, your partner’s fault, or anything you did or didn’t do during pregnancy. This one, single gene change can change your world in the most amazing way! Dominant forms of dwarfism include Achon, Pseudo, SED/SEDC, and many more. Dominant refers to the ability to pass your differences on to your future childre...Continue reading

October 26 Fact: 80% of individuals with dwarfism are born to Average Height Parents. Fact: In a large majority of the cases, the diagnosis is unexpected. Opinion: The way in which a dwarfism diagnosis is delivered can make or break the acceptance of such diagnosis.... Can you re-imagine that moment in time? Maybe your child’s diagnosis came from a caring, compassionate professional that made this new journey sound like it’s just a different path to the same future you envisioned so dearly. Maybe that doctor left you with hope, instead of heartbreak, as they handed you information on LPA. Or maybe, just maybe, you were one of the many parents who received the news with a dry statement - the diagnosis never explained, with dozens of unanswered questions about this new, unknown future. We hope any new parents encountering us in this space are able to see the prideful and empowering community they’ve just joined. We also recognize and are empathetic to those of you who are still longing for Italy before you find the true beauty of Holland. It’s okay, you’re not alone, and we’re here for everyone, in every stage of discovery. #DwarfismAwareness #DwarfismDiagnosis

Happening now in Portuguese with speakers from LPA, Marie Trottier and Clinton Brown!

October 25 - Individuals with dwarfism, their families, and dwarfism support organizations around the world, come together today to recognize October 25 as International Dwarfism Awareness Day. October 25 was picked because it is Billy Barty birthday, the founder of Little People of America. LPA would not be here today without Billy, and thousands of LPs, in the United States and around the world, wouldn't have support systems in place that empower us to be ourselves. Althou...gh, individuals with dwarfism still face physical and physical barriers that stand in the way of choices and opportunities. So we unite together to promote dwarfism awareness and pride in order to challenge those barriers, and to assert our right to self-determination and independence. Happy International Dwarfism Awareness Day! Many other countries are celebrating today too... *Mexico - La Gente Pequeña de México A.C. *Nanismo Brazil - Nanismo Brasil (Hosting a Live Virtual Conference today with representation. from LPA) *Little People UK - Little People UK And so many more, feel free to tag other countries celebrating in the comments. How do you recognize today? How are you spreading awareness? Or share what you love about being an LP, where your pride comes from, in the comment below.

October 24 - Recently, LPA members have asked about LPs in politics. We have featured some of the powerful political influencers in years past, from city politicians to White House administrators. Today, we want to introduce many of you to a former senator from Western Australia - Alan Eggleston. Alan Eggleston was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1996 to 2014, representing Western Australia. Eggleston studied medicine at the University of Western Australia and... graduated in Arts from Murdoch University. He was a medical practitioner in Port Hedland, Western Australia from 1974 to 1996. He was also a councillor in Port Hedland from 1988 to 1996, and served as its mayor from 1993 to 1996. Eggleston was a member of the Pilbara Development Commission from 1994 to 1996. Eggleston retired from politics in 2014. In 2019, Eggleston was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the Parliament of Australia, and to the community of Western Australia. #DwarfismAwareness See more

October 23 - Finishing off our week of featuring different assistive mobility devices. We hope the focus this week brought a new awareness to the variety of ways some individuals with dwarfism use these assistive mobility devices to live independently everyday. Our last interview is with Parker, one of the coolest 8 year olds you'll meet in LPA! Parker uses a Micro Mini 2-Go Kick Scooter. He uses his scooter in big places, like the museum, the Zoo, the airport and at school. When talking about how his scooter helps him be independent, he says, "...or at the museum I can look at the things I want to look at!" The video below shows Parker strolling across the Golden Gate Bridge last summer (no audio). Parker talks more about his scooter in LPA stories. #DwarfismAwareness #AdaptiveMobility

October 23 - Some individuals with dwarfism use assistive mobility devices to live independently everyday. This week we are focusing in on a few members and their stories related to mobility. Today, Danielle Frank shares her experience with an assistive mobility device, including. her passion for travel, and some tips to help us better interact with people who use mobility devices. "I now rely on my mobility scooter when outside the home. My mobility scooter has been all ove...r the world with me - on airplanes, on buses, on trains, you name it. I've been to London with it, California, Disneyland, Disney World, and the Caribbean. I don't know what I would do without [my scooter] because my number one passion in life is to travel and this always be to travel. I could not be more thankful to have a mobility scooter to make me safe and independent when I travel." Hear more from Danielle in our LPA stories! See more

When LPA was founded Elvis was starring in Jailhouse Rock and Eisenhower was President. Help us continue to keep our foot in the present with the LPA IDEA survey. The LPA IDEA survey is a short series of questions and answers that should only take 15 minutes to complete. Your open and honest answers will help identify some of the unique identities that are a part of LPA and help show us places where we can do more for our members. Click the link below, to learn more about how to make sure your voice is heard. Deadline to complete the survey is November. 5, 2020.

October 22 - Some individuals with dwarfism use assistive mobility devices to live independently everyday. This week we are focusing in on a few members and their stories related to mobility. Today, Sarah Cat joins us to share her story about how her wheelchair gives her more ability to succeed independently. "Many LPs, myself included, are ambulatory wheelchair or scooter users. This means that even though we can walk, using a wheelchair or scooter gives greater freedom and ...independence. My type of dwarfism #SEDc is caused by a mutation in type 2 collagen, which is the main building block of cartilage that cushions joints and spinal discs. My cartilage and discs aren’t great at buffering force, so extended standing/walking/carrying things causes pain and can cause injury. I use a wheelchair so I have less pain and more stamina to live independently, work full time, sing in a choir, have a social life, etc. Using a chair enables me to stay active swimming, biking, etc, which are much easier on the joints/spine than walking!" #DwarfismAwareness #AdaptiveMobility See more