Achondroplasia
Though they encounter strangers that laugh, point, stare,
and make their videos, individuals with dwarfism do not
wither up, shy and afraid.
They don’t allow themselves to be defined by their condition
and to be paralyzed by naysayers and bullies.
Just listen to Brandon Farbstein’s TEDx speech or
follow Danielle Kisser, Canadian paralympic swimmer.
Achondroplasia
Society is fearful of disability and tends to view individuals
with disability as defective and burdensome.
Educating the community is key to transforming this fear
into healthy curiosity and, ultimately, friendship.
Empower and train your child to be able to educate well-meaning,
curious friends and adults about his or her achondroplasia with this explanation: that the way your child’s bones grow is different from
the way most children’s bones grow and that your child’s bones
do not grow as fast.
Achondroplasia
Popular imagination is riddled with images of dwarfs
in children’s stories, entertainers in town circuses,
and as chieftains and kings in far away mountains.
Reality could not be farther from this imagery. An individual
with achondroplasia is no more or less intelligent than their
peers of average intelligence. They enjoy food, family, friends
and sports just like anyone else would.
