FEATURES
FEATURES
Little People Take Giant Strides
By The Ambassadors Research Foundation
Billy Barty (1924 - 2000) |
In 1957, the well-known actor Billy Barty made a national public appeal for all little people in America to join him for a gathering in Reno, Nevada. Mr. Barty and 20 other little people joined together for a week of sharing and learning that they were not alone in facing the challenges of dwarfism. During that initial gathering, the Little People of America (LPA) was formed! The Billy Barty Foundation's (founded 1975) primary objective is to eliminate attitudinal barriers, myths and false negative stereotypes of Little People. Barty mentioned in his website:
"I am a dwarf. This means I was born with a
medically recognized condition that makes my body smaller than the average
person's. The name of my condition is Cartilage Hair Hypoplasia Syndrome,
but you can just call me Billy.
Most of us with dwarfism prefer to be described as "Little
People". And please, put the emphasis on the word
"People." We did not spring from the pages of a storybook or
emerge from an enchanted forest. We are not magical beings and we are not
monsters. We are parents and sons and daughters. We are doctors and
lawyers and realtors and teachers. We dream, cry, laugh, shout, fall in
love, and make mistakes. We are no different from you."
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 Erin Popovich (center) with coach |
Interestingly, Erin Popovich, the 14-years-old American swimmer was a breakthrough success at the 2000 Para-Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia by winning the Class SB5 100meter breaststroke walking away with three gold medals, three silver medals, and established new world records in five events. In addition to swimming, she has won two state championships in equestrian. She also plays soccer, basketball and volleyball.
 Gary Coleman celebrates the Emmy award earned by his show. |
 Verne Troyer as Mini-me in "Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me" |
Other notable little celebrities include Gary Coleman who debuted and starred on the immensely popular television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes in 1978. Coleman's show lasted until 1986 and produced a marketing blitz which included his own comic books. Throughout his life, he has had to deal with a medical condition with his kidney that has halted his growth and led to two kidney transplants in his life.
More recently, Verne Troyer, the two foot eight inch tall actor, became a household name with his role as "Mini-me" in the comedy film Austin Powers 2 by Mike Myers. He has appeared in numerous movies and television shows. Either as himself, in various costumes, or as a stunt double, Troyer can soon be seen in Jon Turteltaub's upcoming Instinct, as well as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, My Giant, Mighty Joe Young, Wishmaster, Rocket Man, Volcano, Jingle All the Way, Men in Black and Baby's Day Out, among others. For television he appeared in the series "Dark Skies" and "The Watcher."
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The most famous person with short stature is the Ancient Egyptian Seneb from the Old Kingdom (more than 3000 years ago). His relief with his wife and two children raised controversial views among the medico-Egyptologists and syndromologists. Is Seneb short stature due to achondroplasia or hypochondroplasia? Achondroplasia is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder of bone growth affecting about one in every 20,000 live births and occurring in all races and in both sexes. The word Achondroplasia is derived from Greek and means "without cartilage formation," although individuals with achondroplasia do have cartilage. Its depiction in ancient Egyptian art makes it one of the oldest recorded birth defects. For those interested to know more about the etiology of short stature, they are advised to visit the online database of Prof. Victor A. McKusick (John Hopkins University) and the March of Dimes website linked below.
Little People of America, Inc., (LPA) is a nonprofit organization that provides support and information to people of short stature and their families. Today, this is the largest organization in the world devoted to people of short stature with more than 5,000 members out of the 1.5 million affected Americans with more than 200 medical conditions. Its goals are to provide their members and their families with medical, environmental, educational, vocational, and parental guidance in order to enhance their lives and lifestyles with minimal limitations.
The Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) was founded in 1985 and allows athletes to compete in the following amateur events: Athletics (Track & Field), basketball, Boccia, power lifting, swimming, skiing (Alpine), table tennis, volleyball, badminton, soccer, and equestrian events. Outstanding athletes, selected through DAAA competitions, are invited to compete at the World Championship level, and if they meet the qualifying standards, are invited to represent the USA at the Para-Olympic level. In 1993 DAAA hosted the first World Dwarf Games in Chicago, Illinois, where dwarf athletes from all over the world competed. From July 14 to July 21, The LPA National Conference will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This conference also coincides with the third annual World Dwarf Games which will be hosted by York University.
For further information you can checkout these four websites:
To send information or comments, email at mail@ambassadors.net.
