Webmaster: Lacey Smithson
Knoxville, Tenn.
lrsmiths
"LPA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with dwarfism throughout their lives while celebrating with great pride Little People’s contribution to social diversity.
LPA strives to bring solutions and global awareness to the prominent issues affecting individuals of short stature and their families."
dwarfism: the condition of stunted growth
midget: something much smaller than usual; sometimes offensive - a very small person
little person: the preferred term for a dwarf in the LPA community
Dwarfism is a genetic condition resulting in shorter arms and legs compared to the torso and other physical characteristics different than an average-sized person. The most common type of dwarfism is achondroplasia, but there are more than 200 other forms of dwarfism. To be considered a dwarf, you must be less than 4'10" tall.
Famous Actor Billy Barty began Little People of America (LPA) in 1957 by calling together little people from all across the country to meet in Reno, Nev. for a convention. Today, little people continue to meet annually at different locales for a weeklong convention of seminars, meetings, outings and celebrating. In addition, LPA provides support, education and advocacy for both little people and those wanting to learn more about dwarfism.
For information about LPA, visit the national website: www.lpaonline.org.
Some information on this site was found on lpaonline.org, Google, Merriam-Webster online and Wikipedia.
Copyright 2010 LPA District 13. All rights reserved.
Webmaster: Lacey Smithson
Knoxville, Tenn.
lrsmiths