October 19, 1999

Woman seeks greater awareness of 'little people'

 

By ANDREA BROWN-HURLEY / Staff Writer
photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer

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Some people keep flashlights or jumper cables in their cars for emergencies. Helen Willis stores a step-stool in the back seat of her Subaru.

The Hagerstown resident, 34, is 4 feet, 3 inches tall.

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Willis's parents were of average height, but she was born with a genetic bone-growth disorder called achondroplasia- the most common type of dwarfism.

The Americans with Disabilities Act covers dwarfism, but accessibility is still an issue and discrimination is common, Willis said.

She wants to raise community awareness, improve local accessibility and erase the stigma surrounding little people, she said.

"We eat, drink, breath, work, go to school and have physical or sexual relationships, but some people don't think that," Willis said. "We're not elves or leprechauns or trolls or gnomes."

Daily tasks are obstacles to people of short stature, she said.

Willis travels out-of-state to buy the pedal extensions she needs to drive, and to have the extensions serviced. When she purchases a new vehicle, she must have the air bag disconnected.

The safety features can be deadly to dwarves, Willis said.

Gas pump controls are hard to reach and the triggers difficult for the little person's small hands to grip.

Many ATMs and public restroom sinks, towel and soap dispensers are out of her reach. Willis brings wet wipes with her to some restaurants because she is unable to activate the faucet beams that turn on the water.

The high shelves and deep carts at many grocery stores make trips to the market a "definite hassle," she said.

Willis has her groceries "baby-bagged" to avoid excess pressure on her lower back, and her clothes tailored to fit her limbs.

She said she would like to see more services offered for people of short stature.

More area gas stations could offer full service; supermarkets could accommodate the needs of all customers; restaurants could provide step-stools in restrooms; and local auto dealers could offer sales and service suited to the needs of little people, Willis said.

But it will take more than such positive practical reforms to change discriminatory attitudes toward dwarves, she said.

The public education system needs to address the problem; the media must focus on people-first language and positive models to portray dwarfism; parents should talk to their kids about little people and correct their mistaken assumptions; and employers must learn to value dwarves' skills instead of focusing on their physical limitations, Willis said.

An office worker, she left one job "feeling very disgusted" after her employer refused to accommodate her inability to lift heavy boxes by asking one of her co-workers to perform the seldom-required task, she said.

"I look great on paper, but once I get in for a job interview I feel sometimes that I'm discriminated against," she said.

Forming romantic relationships with men of average height is nearly impossible, said Willis, who is often told, "If only you were a little taller..."

Circuses and the mass media often portray people of short stature as freakish, she said.

Even Webster's Dictionary defines the word "dwarf" in part as "ugly and deformed," Willis said.

Then there are the constant stares and whispers, she said.

"Try walking in my shoes 365 days a year. It's like being a celebrity."

Children point and people of all ages sling derogatory terms like "midget" without regard to the short-statured person's feelings, Willis said.

"Although I have short arms and short legs, I don't have a small mind or a small heart," Willis said. "I wish people would just realize that everyone is different."