#dwarfism

[a-little-revolution]

If someone wanted to make a remake of wizard of oz or willy wonka or snow white and the seven dwarves, what would you say would be the best way to fix the stereotypical depictions of magical or inhuman little people? Would it be to just make them Not little people anymore, make them another creature, or to make them like, people with dwarfism? I've heard some ppl bring up the idea of having dwarves in snow white be actual in-world little people as opposed to a mythical race of 'dwarves', but it seems that would carry its own problematic connotations to extend that to what is clearly a race (munchkins) or a pseudo enslaved/servant populace (oompa loompas) would it be better to just remove these characters entirely or have their roles reprised by non-little people? On the one hand, it seems that many of them do not need to be little people, but on the other hand it seems a shame to remove roles for little people.

(i kind of feel oompa loompas are a bit hard to make work at all given they are explicitely black slaves in the original and clearly carry a sort of enslaved populace connotation in most adaptations, but I'm legitimately curious about munchkins, whose size doesn't seem to matter very much in most stories.)

Hello! My answer is to simply stop retelling these stories. The very fact that we hold onto them so dearly when they're as harmful as they are is a huge problem. We need new stories! Depicting real, complex dwarfism. We need a wide range of disabled characters and better representation for little people - and Snow White is not going to be who saves us. Fixing these stores will not undo the harm they've done. We need to leave them behind and write better pieces.

And we as consumers have done that with so many other pieces of media. We've discovered that they're harmful to a certain group, no longer supported it, and moved on. So why not with little people? Why can't folks give us the same respect?

If you can understand that the oompa loompas are problematic because they were based off black slaves, you can also understand that they were problematic because they were dwarf slaves. The two intersect in the films, and they shouldn't be so beloved in my opinion.

And the answer is not to just recreate these stories without us in them - they were built on our backs and that is their legacy. Sweeping it under the rug wouldn't change the decades of harm they've done and the oppression they're a result of.

Just 👏 stop 👏 making 👏 more 👏 of 👏 them

Leave them behind and make better pieces with LP characters!!! Make them complex and loved and diverse and human!!!

[cripplecharacters]

that has a supporting character with dwarfism, and he's really close with his older brother, who is pretty tall. would it be weird if i sometimes had the younger ask his older brother pick him up so he can reach things? its supposed to be a cute little quirk of theirs that shows their bond, but i'm worried it might come off as weird for some reason. also, do you guys could give me a couple more tips on writing a character with dwarfism, if you have any? thanks in advance! (2/2)

Hi! the guy who asked about less talkative autistic characters here. sorry about that! i was going for more of like... don't talk to a point where it wouldn't be considered "socially acceptable?" but i had a character limit so i couldn't really get my point across that well. now that i think about it, that would probably also be lumped into just, yknow, not being talkative too. anyways, i have another unrelated question! probably equally silly but w/e. i'm writing a slice-of-life story (1/2)

Hello lovely asker!

I just wanna say that because of the ask backlog and the rotation of mods I'm afraid I don't know what ask your talking about, but I'm sure it was simply just a question that was in good faith of curiosity which is what this blog is for 😊

And to answer your question, I'm curious with how old the younger brother is. I haven't been picked up since I was probably about five to help me reach something and even then I was getting yelled at for climbing counters and such. If the younger brother isn't a very young child I would avoid this.

Being picked up is a general no. if you wouldn't do it to anyone else don't do it to someone with dwarfism or any person with a disability. Unless it's under their explicit permission, or help with transferring (from say a mobility aid to a bed or another place etc) or life or death situation, it's almost always a no.

Instead using things like the broom handle to hit tall switches or they even have these things called a "Reacher Grabber" that makes grabbing high up things super easy. Stool also are a big help, the small collapsible ones are easy to carry and move, and certain placed handles help too. Tall people are an advantage I will say though. Having the older brother bring something down to the younger brother is fine. Also have the younger brother climb things and stack objects and use the environment around him so he can get what he wants. I assure you this is what most of us do a lot.

A few more writing tips I have would be:

Research different types of dwarfism and find out which one you want your character to have and how this will affect him. It doesn't have to be mentioned at all but you knowing what type will give you much more insight into building this character.

Don't be afraid to give them mobility aids. A lot of people with Dwarfism have them and use them because they help us and they're pretty common in the community. (Do plenty of research there too if they do have one!)

A joke once or twice, especially if the two characters are very very close, about his dwarfism is okay! Me and my friends joke about mine all the time but quantity control along with a joke in good taste and timing is very important.

The character getting frustrated with his disability is okay too! It happens to me a lot but usually I'll find a solution right after to the thing that frustrated me and that frustration is gone as quick as it came.

If he's having a long conversation or an eye-to-eye conversation with someone that's tall, have them sit down somewhere, get to eye-level (I wouldn't have them lean over to his height though). It really does start to hurt your neck and head after looking up at everyone for so long.

And lastly, I certainly use my height to my advantage in multiple different scenarios. Small hands and small containers or spaces are very compatible with one another. And even though I have to shop in the small teens or kids section for clothes or shoes, I will say certain things are made better for kids (for some reason). But I also know how to hem my own clothes and how to fix them! A lot of people with dwarfism make or modify their own clothes. I can't tell you the amount of times I've gotten discounts at buffets and restaurants because people just assume I'm a child and I'm not gonna protest the discount either so. There are many fun aspects to having dwarfism, I have more fun with it and get more laughs and community out of it than frustration or anything else.

I know there's many more little things that I'm forgetting right now but the dwarfism community could probably add a few things too. Good luck writing!

~ Mod Virus 🌸

[gayaest]

‼️ New OC alert ‼️ [ID in alt-text]

Meet Zakira! They’re a bisexual 24 year old Nonbinary person with Dwarfism (Achondroplasia). He loves the gothic style alongside having a very kind personality! I hope you like her! 🤍🎶🕸️🦇

[milotheshrike]

If anyone's ever wondered what a trans masc dwarf looks like. I'm right here babes

[gigantomachy1916]

Speaking of Cyrano de Bergerac, I recently saw the movie musical version of it released last year, with Peter Dinklage in the lead role. And I already thought it was an incredible casting choice, but today I found out that the screenplay (and the stage version) was written by Dinklage's wife, Erica Schmidt, and I just. Holy shit.

Is there not something so fucking romantic and intimate about loving your partner so much that you rewrite one of the most iconic and classic stories in the world to be about them, about the way they are overlooked for having a stigmatized physical trait, and portraying them as a sexy, compelling romantic lead so that the world can fall in love with them like you have? And making that classic story better, more meaningful and personal, because you put your own love for this person into it?

I'm just, I'm losing my shit over here, you guys. Now the whole movie just feels like we're seeing this man through his wife's eyes and I'm genuinely crying over this revelation.

[anonbeadraws]

Character sheet for @krtart of Oscar and his beloved companion Lily, he has the best weird grandpa vibes and I love him 🌿 🌿Com info here! 🌿

[hussyknee]

PSA: Please for the love of God stop using the word "cretin". It's a slur for people born with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT, that used to be called cretinism) that causes physical and intellectual disability.

I think it's unrealistic to expect a blanket moratorium on insults about intelligence, but words like "mong/mongoloid" (anti-Asian slur later applied to people with Down Syndrome), "spaz", "downie", "midget" and "cretin" refer to people born with specific developmental disorders. If you care enough not to use the "r–word", please steer clear of these as well.

[neuroticboyfriend]

thanks to ableism, heightism, and fatphobia, almost nothing is made to fit or work for my body ever. mobility aids. furniture. clothes. shoes. cars. etc. etc. if any of these do work out for me, they're usually expensive and i have a much more limited selection than abled, average height, straight sized people.

this isn't just inconvenience, either. things like furniture and shoes not being made for me causes me pain and takes a toll on my body, because i physically cant use them properly. making things fit me takes energy and money that i cant afford, but sometimes have to spend anyway. the safety measures in things like cars could injure or even kill me if i were to get in a bad accident.

being short, fat, and disabled in this society is so much harder than it has to be. it's unfair and downright dangerous that our bodies aren't being taken into account when designing almost everything around us. disabled people deserve better. fat people deserve better. people with short and tall stature deserve better.

we're just as much part of this world as everyone else, and we deserve to live in a world that acts like we exist.

[a-little-revolution]

hi hi! do you have any things that non little people should be aware of when headcannoning/ drawing a character with dwarfism? is there anything that would be offensive to do when it comes to headcannon?

Hello! Whether head-cannoning or drawing people with dwarfism, a major thing to keep in mind is anatomy - it's something that a lot of artists get wrong because they usually pull from fantasy "dwarves" vs. dwarfs with the actual disability. You need to do your research when drawing us, and it's important to note it when head-cannoning.

Since I'm in love with Steven Universe right now (despite it's issues), here's an example on how to discern if a character is likely a little person, and not simply a small character.

Consider: Peridot.

She's about the height of Steven (who we know to be 13 and 4 feet tall), however the rules of the world tell us that the (alien) Gems are sized relative to their stones.

"This height is indicative of my rarity and importance!" - Period Season 3 Episode 9

So though she is short and petite, she is not a little person. (Though you could by all means still headcannon her as such)

Sadie Miller on the other hand, is human and also around Steven's size despite being five years older than him. She's a good foot shorter than her peers and is depicted using stools multiple times throughout the show. She is very clearly a little person, despite it never coming up in conversation.

I personally like to draw a clear line when headcannoning between characters that are simply small for artistic/world reasons vs. characters that actually seem to have dwarfism.

When it comes to drawing them, it's important to actively choose which type of dwarfism they have (there are hundreds of types, including skeletal dysplasia) and ensure that their anatomy is on point.

[ididit-allofit-foryou]

hapy disability pride month! here's all the drawings i've done so far! (many more to come!)

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! I have a OC with dwarfism and I‘ve been thinking about ways to make this a bigger part of their character/story and wondering if you maybe have some ideas?

For context: they are about 1.10 meters big and have a BFF that‘s about 2.5 meters (this is a setting where characters this tall aren‘t super uncommon). They also are from a culture where having a ton of cyborg-parts is very common, so they have too. They are very comfortable with their size, even finding it practical for their job a archeologist/explorer as they can fit into smaller spaces, and other characters treat them with a lot of respect due to their knowledge and high rank. They also travel the galaxy in search of ancient technology and are quite old.

I hope you all have a wonderfull day!

Hello lovely asker!

I really like this it's sounds so fun! One thing I'm curious about is in this setting you said someone whose 8'3 isn't uncommon so I wonder if that extends to your other OC too? If so, how does the world change around them? What I mean is in a world where something is deemed "Normal" then the world would be built around them and accustomed to them for easy use.

Other than that, I think one of the first steps is deciding what type of dwarfism your OC has, that is if you haven't already decided. There are hundreds and hundreds of different types of dwarfism, all that come with their own unique characteristics.

You already have a height set for the character so I would do research around that and see what type of dwarfism would fit and you want your character to have. It doesn't have to be stated what type they have, especially if this is in a sorta sci-fi setting, but you knowing what type will give you a better idea of their body build and more characteristics to include in this character. For instance, starting with do you want them to have a Proportionate or Disproportionate type of dwarfism might be a good starting point of research too.

Depending on what type of dwarfism you choose, like I said, there's going to be other characteristics and what I mean by that is there is often health complications that come along with almost every type of dwarfism I can think of. Bone structures change, hormone deficiencies and such, breathing/respiratory issues, chronic pain, research will very much be your friend here.

Mobility aids along with other aids are also something to consider. Someone with OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) might use crutches, walkers, wheelchairs/power wheelchairs, all depending on what type of OI they have. Crutches, forearm crutches, wheelchair, power wheelchair, walker, canes, rollators, you name it. Magic aids are also an option if it applies for the universe this is set in, or even making up your own aids. I think the only thing to watch out with these is making sure the created aids/magic aids don't erase their disabilities. (You also mentioned that this character is older too so mobility aids would be an option their too.)

I also want to say this should all extend to the other character who is very tall as well. Do they have Gigantism? Marfans syndrome? Sotos syndrome? Again, it doesn't need to be stated what condition these characters have (in our terms) but doing research so you know the characteristics helps builds the characters better.

Also interactions depending how comfortable they are around each other should be fluid. By this is mean the taller probably wouldn't pick up the shorter one (especially if one or both of them are using a mobility aid). If there are things out of view/out of reach but rather bring it down to their height, and vice versa also. If it's a situation where they can't bring things to each others height, they might assist each other in other ways. The taller finding a path or stacking stable items that shorter can navigate/climb up on to see what the other is seeing, the shorter oc clearing a path so that the taller can lean down comfortably to see something or perhaps finding something/somewhere they can sit down on.

That's all I can think of for now but I hope this helps some. Have a lovely day and good luck writing!

~ Mod Virus 🌸

[milotheshrike]

It seems y'all like yourselves some chubby trans dwarf, I knew you lot had good taste

[uapbew2]

Small size + complete quadriplegic

[the-kitty-hell-system]

if you are short, but not a little person you have no right to be in conversations about dwarfism. shut the fuck up. you do not experience the violence and discrimination i experience as someone with dwarfism. you are an average sized person. ive been thrown down the fucking stairs by a drunk, average sized man, for the purpose of "dwarf throwing" (which by some is considered a FUCKING SPORT). and i never got justice for it. i am a fucking paraplegic, i have brain damage. we arent midgets we arent "just short" we arent a joke we are little people we are disabled people we are people. if little people are apart of your joke, you arent funny. you should honestly get thrown down the stairs like i did lmao. if you make fun of little peoples height and call it a "joke". you arent funny. why is it that my condition is a joke to all my friends? why is it that all they do is make fun of me for how tall i am, ignoring that i am literally disabled? i am 4'0, that doesnt mean ANYTHING on if im a person or not. i have achondroplasia and cleidocranial dysplasia. im not a fucking joke, the violence i experience isnt a damn joke and you should really stop dehumanizing little people.

[viejospellejos]

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