Being Different (8); Our Birth is Not a Mistake

He has dwarfism, a characteristic that distinguishes him from others on the street, in parks, at the beach, and in stores. "Gray Arnold" must be shorter than 147 centimeters, about the height of a typical seven or eight-year-old child. This is a condition determined by dwarfism or short stature, but dwarfism also leads Gray to connect with the social movement for the disabled. Gray Arnold, the president of the "Little People of America" association and an advocate for the rights of the disabled in America, led the disability pride parade in Chicago this summer, an event that has been held in the city since 2004 and signifies a fundamental shift in attitudes toward disability. He says, "The next generation growing up in America, where civil rights laws support disabled individuals, does not see disability as a defect in humans... This generation views disability and disabled individuals as an identity, and... as a result, many now speak of their disability with pride and honor." In the eighth part of the "Being Different" series, Gray Arnold describes his experience with dwarfism and his thoughts on it. Visual Report: Being Different (8); Our Birth is Not a Mistake. Ehsan Abadi: Gray, you are now the president of the "Little People of America" association and you work hard to change society's view on dwarfism and improve living conditions for those who have it. You have published many videos on YouTube reflecting this perspective and have written numerous articles that have appeared in reputable media like the Huffington Post. But let's first talk about your feelings regarding dwarfism. Can you describe this feeling? I see dwarfism as a type of disability and believe that like others with disabilities, individuals with dwarfism sometimes need support to achieve their goals such as education, employment, and social activities. We have the right to be supported. I think the similarities among individuals with dwarfism are much greater than their differences from those who neither have dwarfism nor any other disability. We have the right to have equal opportunities as other people and we also have the right to be part of this community and participate in social activities, just like everyone else. Therefore, what the "Little People of America" association aims for and strives for is to convey the message to the American people that we are like everyone else, our needs are similar, and we want to be treated like everyone else. Sometimes we may need certain specific aids for assistance, like a stool, and some support, but this does not mean that society should treat us completely differently. Do you agree that we review your life path together? A child with dwarfism has just realized his difference from those around him and is probably comparing himself to them; and in later stages, such as adolescence, when he enters the world of adults and understands social reality better. How did all these stages go for you? A few points about dwarfism: Dwarfism is a genetic condition that causes a person to be shorter in stature so that the height of those with dwarfism is usually less than 147 centimeters, equivalent to 4 feet and 10 inches. The "Little People of America" association states that the average height of individuals with dwarfism is about 122 centimeters, but typically, their height ranges from 85 to 146 centimeters. This association also states that there are over 200 types of dwarfism, and there are even those who have never been definitively diagnosed with dwarfism, although their physical condition is different from others. However, the most common cause or type of dwarfism is a genetic condition called achondroplasia, which affects about 70 percent of individuals with dwarfism. In this type of dwarfism, the person's arms and legs grow abnormally. The average height of these individuals is also 121 centimeters. The achondroplasia gene was discovered in 1994 by researchers at the University of California. The majority of individuals with dwarfism are in good health, but many of them also require certain surgeries and medical interventions to address the complications of dwarfism. Orthopedic issues among individuals with dwarfism are not uncommon, and among the common issues they face in adulthood is spinal canal stenosis. More than 80 percent of individuals with dwarfism have parents or siblings of average height. If both parents have achondroplasia dwarfism, there is still a 25 percent chance that their child will have average height. The term "midget" in Persian or "midget" in English can be extremely offensive when used to describe individuals with dwarfism, even if said inadvertently. In America, especially, an impactful campaign has emerged against the use of this term. One of the authoritative websites on dwarfism, titled Understanding Dwarfism, states that terms like "little people," "little ones," and "individuals with dwarfism" are acceptable terms. Many individuals with dwarfism also accept the term dwarf. However, many of them prefer their own names to labels. This website adds that dwarfism itself is not a disease or defect that has a cure. Many individuals with dwarfism lead long and successful lives. I think since I can remember, I knew I was different and was aware that I had dwarfism. When I was young, I tried to blend in as much as possible and was always worried that I would be treated differently. I tried to do as much as I could to do what others did. Perhaps at that age, I could not accept this issue as much as I did when I grew older. On the other hand, I was also lucky because my brother, who is two years older than me and does not have dwarfism, was always my supporter at school. This helped me a lot and made others who knew my brother not treat me very differently. His support also allowed me to participate in school-related matters or sports activities like everyone else. Therefore, I can say that my childhood was almost like others until I grew up and reached adolescence. It was then that my perspective on dwarfism began to change, and gradually I accepted dwarfism as a type of disability. I also had a job at a nonprofit organization related to the disabled in Chicago, which helped me better recognize my identity as someone with a disability and see disability as a characteristic to be proud of because disability has its own culture, history, and strong community. I concluded that being part of this community is a good thing. Although disability comes with obvious difficulties, these problems are manageable or their nature can be changed. In fact, it is not us who need to change ourselves. What needs to change is people's attitudes and the environment we live in. You consider dwarfism a type of disability. Do other people with dwarfism agree with this belief and consider dwarfism among physical disabilities? Or do they think of dwarfism as a different way of being? There is no consensus on this. Many do not see dwarfism as a disability because the term disability evokes a series of negative stigmas and stereotypes. Sometimes when disability is mentioned, people think that the disabled person is incapable of doing anything and cannot be as useful and good as others. For this reason, many who have dwarfism do not want such an image to be created about them because they believe they can do anything that others can. However, I think this mindset is changing, especially among those younger than me. The next generation growing up in America, where civil rights laws support disabled individuals, does not have such a view of disability and does not think that disability means a defect or mistake in humans. This generation views disability and disabled individuals as an identity and sees it as a community supported by civil rights laws. Therefore, many now speak of their disability with pride and honor. Gray, you are sensitive to words, and you have written here and there that a term like "midget" bothers you a lot. Apparently, many people do not understand this sensitivity to words and consider such terms a form of reality. Why are you so sensitive to these words? That's a tough question. We grow up with a piece of poetry that I don't know if you are familiar with. It says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This is something we are taught from childhood. But as we grow older, we realize that words actually do hurt. People may believe that these are just words said in the air and have no effect on our character, but I and many others believe that they do indeed affect us and our personalities. More importantly, they shape others' thoughts about us. For example, consider the term "midget." The history behind this word in America gives it a negative connotation; there is a kind of mockery and ridicule embedded in it, as if it were a joke and meant to say that these people are not as useful and good as others. Therefore, such a word, although it is just a word, has a profound negative impact because it is applied to a specific group of people and affects society's mindset toward this group. Of course, it is sometimes said that people do not necessarily use the term "midget" with negative intent and only use it to describe something or someone that is "small" in size and stature. However, even if this word is not used with the intent to harm someone, the history behind it still leaves a deep negative impact. When the media legitimizes the discussion of preventing the birth of a child with dwarfism and calls the birth of these children a "mistake," they create a negative mindset for their audience that dwarfism is a curse and misfortune that must be eliminated... but the solution is not to get rid of these individuals. In fact, in one of your other writings, you complained that people sometimes view dwarfism as a source of entertainment and that seeing individuals with dwarfism serves as a form of amusement for them. Do you think this perception is due to such types of words? Yes, I have such a perception. I think people are unable to separate the history behind these types of words from individuals and this prior mindset is fully reflected in their interactions with those who have dwarfism. For this reason, it is difficult for individuals with dwarfism to connect with others from an equal position. Perhaps media such as cinema or television has played a role in solidifying this view of dwarfism. For example, in our country, Iran, as far as I remember, in films and television series, roles have always been assigned to them that are marginal, trivial, or clown-like; a kind of stereotype that everyone follows and no one tries to change. How has this issue been in America? I agree with this statement. I think television and media have a significant impact. From the past to the present, those who have had dwarfism have mostly played such roles, clown roles or comedic roles, and this issue has influenced people's mindset about them. Imagine someone who has never interacted with individuals with dwarfism and has no understanding of this matter suddenly sees me on the street. They only have images in their mind that they have seen on television and in cinema, a clown character that can be joked with and ridiculed. As a result, they relate me and my identity to this comedic character and find it difficult to take me seriously or interact with me from an equal position. However, perhaps in the last twenty years in America, the situation has somewhat changed. Now we see more people on television who have dwarfism and are ordinary people. Many of them participate in reality TV shows and we see that they also have a normal life just like everyone else. These programs change people's mindset about dwarfism because what people see in these shows are ordinary people, not a clown character or someone to joke with. They say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This is something we are taught from childhood. But as we grow older, we realize that words actually do hurt. People may believe that these are just words said in the air and have no effect on our character, but I and many others believe that they do indeed affect us and our personalities. Gray, are you satisfied with having dwarfism? Let me put my discussion another way. One of your notes addresses the issue of abortion. There you protested that what a bitter and painful discussion it is to prevent the birth of a child with dwarfism altogether. Well, those who advocate for abortion in this case probably say that the child will suffer in the future because of dwarfism and, moreover, dwarfism imposes significant financial burdens on families and exacerbates their suffering. But your argument against...