Meeting: Little people hold regional conference at Troy hotel

By Nicole Bondi / The Detroit News

    They may be as short as children, but dwarfs definitely aren't kids.
    "The only difference is we're short. Mentally we're just as competent as anyone else," said Amy Andrews, a 3-foot-10-inch member of Little People of America (LPA), a national organization for people under 4 feet, 10 inches tall. The group is holding a regional conference today through Sunday at the Troy Marriott.
    The most common type of dwarfism is called achondroplasia, which means the torso is normal but arms and legs are short. The biggest problem little people face, Andrews said, is reaching everyday things like pay phones or bank machines. Most dwarfs build down their kitchens and leave plenty of stools around the house.
    This weekend's conference will address adaptability, as well as self-esteem, nutrition, clothing (dwarfs buy their clothes at regular stores and have them altered) and medical problems. Dr. Charles Scott, national chairman of LPA's medical advisory board and one of the country's top authorities on dwarfism, will answer medical questions and screen children who may have a growth disorder.
   
    For information on the conference, call (313) 884-3976.

Copyright 1997, The Detroit News
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