Spring Break
Low glass ceiling still affecting us
Bill Bradford
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Forum
I'm sure we're all familiar with this uniquely American folktale: "You can be anything you want to be. Perhaps even president one day." Thanks to President-elect Barack Obama, the american dream appears to be alive and well.
Not to be a killjoy, but I think this is an unattainable myth for many people like me. There is another glass ceiling, low and largely unnoticed, but most definitely there.
I am one of approximately 30,000 people in the United States with dwarfism, a congenital genetic defect that affects 1 in 10,000 live births. The most common characteristic of dwarfism is profound short stature, usually defined as 4'10" or shorter, with the average about 4-foot even. In addition, there is usually some form of orthopedic complication to a varying degree, depending on the type of dwarfism (there are over 200 different types).
Now before I go further, I should clarify some terminology. People with a medical condition causing dwarfism prefer to be called dwarfs, little people (LPs), or ideally, by their first names. The word "midget" is highly offensive; a pejorative equal in offense to dwarfs as the N-word is to African Americans. The term was coined in the "freak show" era of the late 19th century and finds its roots in the word "midge," a type of pesky fly.
The most famous LPs (dwarfs) - or notorious, depending on your perspective - are Verne Troyer (Mini Me), Jason Acuna (Wee Man), Peter Dinklage ("Elf," "The Station Agent"), Warwick Davis ("Willow"), Meredith Eaton ("Boston Legal") and movie legends Linda Hunt and Billy Barty. And let's not forget Oregon's own first family of dwarfism, the Roloffs from the reality series "Little People, Big World."
Other than a few "stunts" with dwarfism, most notably on Comedy Central or television commercials (count how many live elves you see this holiday season), there are not many others of fame. Certainly no major CEOs, university presidents, famous clergy or national politicians. Oompa Loompas and Munchkins don't count.
Not to be a killjoy, but I think this is an unattainable myth for many people like me. There is another glass ceiling, low and largely unnoticed, but most definitely there.
I am one of approximately 30,000 people in the United States with dwarfism, a congenital genetic defect that affects 1 in 10,000 live births. The most common characteristic of dwarfism is profound short stature, usually defined as 4'10" or shorter, with the average about 4-foot even. In addition, there is usually some form of orthopedic complication to a varying degree, depending on the type of dwarfism (there are over 200 different types).
Now before I go further, I should clarify some terminology. People with a medical condition causing dwarfism prefer to be called dwarfs, little people (LPs), or ideally, by their first names. The word "midget" is highly offensive; a pejorative equal in offense to dwarfs as the N-word is to African Americans. The term was coined in the "freak show" era of the late 19th century and finds its roots in the word "midge," a type of pesky fly.
The most famous LPs (dwarfs) - or notorious, depending on your perspective - are Verne Troyer (Mini Me), Jason Acuna (Wee Man), Peter Dinklage ("Elf," "The Station Agent"), Warwick Davis ("Willow"), Meredith Eaton ("Boston Legal") and movie legends Linda Hunt and Billy Barty. And let's not forget Oregon's own first family of dwarfism, the Roloffs from the reality series "Little People, Big World."
Other than a few "stunts" with dwarfism, most notably on Comedy Central or television commercials (count how many live elves you see this holiday season), there are not many others of fame. Certainly no major CEOs, university presidents, famous clergy or national politicians. Oompa Loompas and Munchkins don't count.
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