Dwarfs/Dwarves

I guess it depends why you want to address them as a dwarf? Does it really need to be said? There's a medical term for it which you could choose. Just steer away from 'midget', 'porg', 'shorty' or any of the character names from Snow White ?

According to the Little People of America:

Q: What is a midget?

A: In some circles, a midget is the term used for a proportionate dwarf. However, the term has fallen into disfavor and is considered offensive by most people of short stature. The term dates back to 1865, the height of the "freak show" era, and was generally applied only to short-statured persons who were displayed for public amusement, which is why it is considered so unacceptable today.

Such terms as dwarf, little person, LP, and person of short stature are all acceptable, but most people would rather be referred to by their name than by a label.

Personally "little person" makes me heave.

Why do you feel the need to "address" a person as anything,

would you address a person with red hair as a Ginger

or a person by the colour of there skin

why label people

I m just wondering because i m doing a job and one of the people is a dwarf. in fact even writing "dwarf" seems a bit wrong really. why that is i dont know.

Your doing a job with another person, end of

But it's not so much a label as a description sometimes isn't it? If there's a need to describe someone and you say, "well, he's got brown hair, glasses and a red tie" and omit to mention that he's 3 foot tall, it's a bit like the elephant in the room. It's making more of a deal of it by NOT mentioining it sometimes, isn't it?

i appreciate that. however, i like to talk to people and i dont do small talk. if the term came up/comes up, i wanted to know if its an ok term. i m hardly going to say "oi, youre a dwarf" am i? and actually, i dont really see why one cant chat to someone who is a little different either in a physical way, or an attitude, or unusual hobby etc and ask them about it.

and please dont say "end of". its pretty rude.

<wonders how people address Nick>

Mr Green Hanky?

End of, wasnt written in a rude way, and Im sorry if you thought it was

well, it is, because it reads "end of conversation, nothing further to discuss". thank you for the apology.

Then it shouldn't come up ?

End of, wasnt written in a rude way and Im sorry if you thought it was.

No I ment it in the context of

your working with another person, (end of) that doesnt need a label,

Well the most common form of what is probably thought of as dwarfism is achondroplaysia

I've just had the exact same issue as you describe - I had to write an article on a girl who I would have described as a dwarf (the article was about her mum raising money for people with her condition, so I could hardly not mention it). I had to outright ask her how she would prefer I wrote it.

She said that she wasn't averse to the term 'dwarf' per se, but that it was becoming fairly outmoded and people with her condition (achondroplasia) were becoming more offended by it.

She preferred to describe herself as having restricted growth, or sa having a growth disorder. She was also adamant that she didn't 'suffer' from anything, she just had a condition. She hated the term little person.

HTH

Wahhhhhhhhh . Yes I noticed that too LP,Your not really a Dwarf(Mkae soothing noises)

I'm pissing myself at Peaches andJaz's replies ?

I thought midgets and dwarfs were different (as per David Brent and Gareths sketch in the office) My best friend actually had to find out if she is legally a midget as so many people kept asking her.shes 4ft 10. shes not BTW.

If i was a dwarf, id actually be rather offended that someone ignored the fact and wouldnt say the word (whichever word is correct) because it was "labelling" me. Its not labelling, its what they are. I find it more "labelling" NOT to call them a dwarf (or again, whatever the correct word is)

vertically challenged?

Switch on C4 - Wife swap.

One of the families are 'little people' as they have just referred to themselves.

sorry but "little people" just makes me think of old irish tales of leprechauns etc.

jester, ***. off. i am a diplomat these days, i ll have you know. so there.

oompa lumpas?

I agree, not a term I would use, too twee. It's a Wife Swap from the USA, though so probably more a comon term over there?

If speaking about a person with achondroplasia, i would refer to the person as having the condition achondroplasia.

If, as previously suggested by another poster, you had to identify the person from a group of people for a photo shoot. I'd just ask their name.

i have a friend who calls his assistant "the dwarf" actually. he s about 5'2. mind you, my friend is less pc than i am ?

? you mean as opposed to Oi! you! yes, you, GRUMPY!, HAPPY! whatever your name is, over 'ere!", like I was going to?

? at nick. "oi dwarfy, where's snow white." <nick falls on floor pissing ones self>

No. I meant as opposed to calling the person a dwarf.

I once said to a guy who had no legs as an intro "so, what happened? frostbite?". luckily he pissed himself laughing and we got on famously, but i guess it could have gone the other way.

anyway, wtf are you doing here ? you pie eating, oranage faced alcopop drinker

look, i wouldnt ever actually CALL them a dwarf you wassock ?. its just IF the term is aceptable or not, thats all ?

? at orange faced alcopops drinker, im whiter than an a albino in winter and cant stand alcopops. i prefer neat vodka ?

snotface got me up at 4am and 6am so decided to hitched as H is away.

see, i hate people that hide away from peoples disability and pretend its not happened. you are right htough, had it been a PC hitcher you would have been doomed.

? at actualyl calling them a dwarf. is this thread really that hard to understand?

Tsk - well you asked if it was acceptable or not. I'm saying no. How was I to know you wouldn't ever use the term? ?