True Advocacy for Dwarfism Awareness Month

CONTENT NOTE: contains derogatory slur related to community

October is Dwarfism Awareness Month. Not many people know this, but you can be forgiven for that; there are so many days and months that are now dedicated to raising awareness for certain causes. For example, October is also Down Syndrome and ADHD Awareness Month.

But are these events actually effective? Or are they token gesture events that are forgotten about by the end of the month? The derogatory representations, such as “midget” wrestling continue and the inaccessible buildings still stand. Thus, if we want true awareness, we need to fight any inequality—no matter how uncomfortable it may make us—all year round. 

During Dwarfism Awareness Month, my social media feed will become inundated with posts trying to raise awareness about dwarfism: from stating that “there are over 200 types of dwarfism,” to posting pictures of trident hands, a common feature for people with achondroplasia. Whilst it is awareness, it does not do anything to change attitudes towards dwarfism.

A picture of a trident hand will not change society’s perception of dwarfism. Furthermore, what is the point of telling people there are 200 types of dwarfism? It will not change attitudes or challenge inequalities in society that people with dwarfism regularly encounter.

Maybe, for someone partaking in dwarf tossing, they might wonder which of the 200 types the person they are tossing has. Furthermore, not many other people will see these posts, except for people with dwarfism like me. What others see are mostly derogatory representations of dwarfism that are prevalent throughout the rest of the year and shape how we are perceived. 

Aside from these posts, Little People of America (LPA)—the world’s largest association for people with dwarfism—has designed a dwarfism pride flag. The flag is a combination of various shades of green blocks with a blue spine down the edge. LPA’s online store sells all sorts of merchandise specifically featuring the new pride flag, which you can buy to show your support for dwarfism awareness.

But how does a green flag promote awareness? Like the various LGBTQ pride flags, will it just be adopted by companies as a token gesture of support? An easy way to show support without tackling any of the injustices we experience? If I use the tote bag for shopping, will it mean that supermarkets will suddenly consider my access needs? Or will it stop other customers from pointing and staring at me? Of course not. 

We need to be raising awareness throughout the year—challenging misconceptions that have been around for centuries, which cannot be done with flags, t-shirts, and pictures of trident hands. So for Dwarfism Awareness Month, I won’t be doing any of that because it’s ineffective. Instead of the same routine, we need to be advocating for good examples of representation, like Kiruna Stamell in the BBC drama “Doctors” or Peter Dinklage in “Game of Thrones.”

And, perhaps most importantly, we need to be holding society accountable for the harm caused to our community, like the work I’ve done campaigning for various confectionery companies to drop the slur “midget” from their branding. Another great example is the work of Angela van Etten, who has worked to ban the “entertainment” practice of “midget tossing.” Real change comes from advocacy that challenges the status quo. Real activism comes from calling out and challenging everyday inequalities.

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Dr Erin Pritchard (she/her) is a senior lecturer in Special Education Needs (SEN) and Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University. She is also a core member of the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies. Her work specialises in cultural representations of dwarfism and how they shape social attitudes towards people with dwarfism. Her books include: Dwarfism, Spatiality and Disabling Experiences; Midgetism: The Exploitation and Discrimination of People with Dwarfism; and Dwarfism Arts and Advocacy: Creating Our Own Positive Identity.