Mission It is our goal to reach out to the Little People of our community; to provide and share support, education and resources with LPs, their families and the community at large.  We abide by the guidelines, covenants and bylaws as adopted by Little People of America and District 8, to which we belong.

 

History

Billy Barty ca 1977

Little People of America was founded in 1957 by Billy Barty, a well-know actor when he and twenty other short-statured individuals met for a week in Reno, Nevada.  During this week, these individuals shared information, their experiences, and the challenges they have faced as a result of dwarfism.             Currently, LPA has more than 5,000 members and assists with the formation of similar organizations throughout the world.  As you will see throughout this Web site, there are plenty of opportunities for anyone who wants to get involved at the local chapter level, district level, or national level.

       

Membership Benefits

Any LPA Chapter is only as good as the participation of it's members.

 

Something for everyone 

            No matter what you are hoping to get out of LPA, there is truly something to meet the needs of everyone with a form of dwarfism, family members, or professionals interested in working with Little People.  While the social interaction LPA provides is definitely an important aspect of the organization, LPA has so much more to offer.

 

Social Interaction 

            Little People of America members benefit from a variety of social activities, which allow them to meet others (either within their local chapter or at larger district and national events) with similar forms of dwarfism or similar concerns and enable them to share their concerns and solutions they have found.  Many members develop long-term friendships and in some cases even marriages result. 

             LPA and the Dalworth chapter encourages social interaction through a number of methods: 

Local chapter meetings – these meetings are usually informal gatherings for members of a particular local chapter and each meeting is generally hosted by a different member of the chapter who plans the activities for that meeting.  These activities frequently include pool parties, barbeques, local restaurant gatherings, picnics, holiday parties, gatherings at local parks, and other similar activities.  For more information on other district 8 chapters, please see the other district 8 chapters page on this Web site. 

A recent Dalworth chapter meeting was held at the Oasis Lakeview Restaurant & Bar at the Lynn Creek Marina, Joe Poole Lake in Grand Prairie.  In addition to dining at the restaurant, other activities were available for those who were interested, which included fishing, boat rentals, golf driving range, and Lynn Creek Park.  On other occasions, the host member will plan a gathering at their home and provide a meal, such as a cook out, pizza, or buffet style meal, while others may be asked to bring a desert or side dish.  

National conventions – this is a week long event  held in a different city within North America in the summer of each year.  These are very much like the district regional conventions, but on a much larger scale.  At the national conventions, activities include tours arranged by LPA with accessible transportation, more workshops and medical appointments than available at the regional conventions, DJ hosted dances every night, special activities for children, teens, and senior citizens, expos with special products and services related to dwarfism, talent shows, fashion shows, and many other activities. For more information on national conventions, please visit the district 8 Web site and the national convention Web site.     

 

Committees: 

            LPA has numerous committees designed to address a wide range of issues related to dwarfism.  These committees are too numerous to list all of them here, so if you are interested in learning more about LPA’s committees, please see the list of national officers and contact the appropriate person.  They will be more than happy to provide you with the information you need.  Here is just a small sampling of committees and what they do:   

Adoption Committee – provides support, information, and advocacy for Little People wishing to adopt children; for more information, please visit the adoption committee Web site at www.geocities.com/lp_adoption  

ANSI Committee – this committee is made up of LPA representatives who serve on the American National Standards Institute (a federal government committee which sets standards in the United States) to work on developing accessibility solutions such as setting standards for the height of elevator buttons, public telephones, gas pumps, and other public facilities  

Community Outreach Committee – sends representatives from local LPA chapters out to different schools in the area to teach school age children about dwarfism; the goal is to try to teach children to be more accepting of differences and help them to see that those with dwarfism and related physical impairments are really no different than anyone else.

 

Accessibility

            With over 200 different forms of dwarfism, there is a very wide range of accessibility issues LPA must take into consideration when planning its activities.  Most of those responsible for LPA’s day-to-day operations and the planning of events and activities often have accessibility concerns of their own as well.  Due to the fact there are such a wide variety of accessibility issues and concerns, LPA cannot guarantee that every activity will be accessible to every member, but LPA truly strives to make activities and events accessible to as much of its membership as possible.

             Planning for regional and national conventions is a long process and LPA uses strict guidelines to ensure the hotels and other facilities used for conventions will be accessible to its membership.  In addition to detailed accessibility evaluations and in person inspections of proposed convention facilities, LPA works to increase accessibility by making additional modifications as necessary.  Some of the adaptations that are frequently made include the construction of ramps to make facilities accessible to wheelchairs and motorized scooters, platforms to allow short stature individuals to reach the front desk in hotel lobbies, lowered buffet tables for buffet banquets to allow independence for members that may be as short as two or three feet, and sticks attached to the inside of elevators to allow members to reach the higher buttons.  Many times LPA also makes step stools available free of charge to its members for use in their hotel rooms.  The hotel for the Grapevine regional convention for district 8 thought this was such a wonderful idea; they purchased step stools for all of their rooms. 

            Tours arranged by LPA for conventions include wheelchair/scooter accessible busses.  Busses usually pick up and drop off right at the convention hotel.  LPA also makes arrangements with medical supply companies to allow members to rent motorized scooters for use during conventions.  These medical supply companies will deliver and pick up the scooters at the convention hotel, generally at no additional fee.

 

Special Interest Groups: 

            In addition to the many committees within LPA, there are other organizations, which are separate from LPA, but work closely with LPA and coordinate events with the LPA conventions. 

Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) - coordinates athletic competitions for Little People wishing to participate in sports activities.  Sports include softball, soccer, golf, and boccia (a bowling like game popular with Little People).  For more information on DAAA, please visit their Web site at:  www.daaa.org 

Dwarf Artist Coalition (DAC) – this organization is designed for Little People interested in both written and visual art forms; DAC is made up of both professionals as well as amateurs; members have the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work at LPA conventions; artwork usually consist of a variety of mediums including photography, graphic design, painting, drawing, poetry and just about anything else that fits the description visual or written art.  For more information, please contact DAC President, Anne Danberg at anne@artdance.com or DAC director, Irene Yuan at Irene@freshsprout.com.

 

Something for all ages: 

            LPA works hard to include activities for members in all age ranges.  At the regional and national conventions, there are supervised kids activities available where parents can drop their children off and know they will be looked after and entertained with suitable activities while they attend workshops and other activities that would not be of interest to young children.  Age appropriate activities are also arranged for teenagers and there is a special group within LPA called the OWLS for members fifty and over.  While all ages are welcome at the dances, they are usually geared more towards teenagers and young adults.  All ages enjoy the opportunity to socialize with friends.  LPA frequently offers workshops and activities for non-LP siblings to help them deal with the pressures of having a sibling that may require additional attention for surgeries, physical limitations, and other issues associated with dwarfism.

 

Information 

            LPA provides information through a number of means to assist members with making important medical decisions as well as information about products, services, and other issues that will enhance the quality of their lives. 

Medical advisory board – this group consist of medical professionals with various specialties that focus on issues and concerns relating to dwarfism; there are several doctors currently on the medical advisory board who themselves have various forms of dwarfism; For more information on the medical advisory board, please see the medical advisory board page on the national Web site 

Workshops – at regional and national conventions, LPA offers workshops on a wide range of topics; the following is a brief listing of the workshops, which have been offered in the past: 

Psychosocial Issues in Short-Statured People – a discussion of the social, emotional, and psychological issues faced by all parents of short-statured people of all ages. 

Tweens (9-13) – discussion of issues relating to short-statured pre-teens (school, clothing, sports, social relationships, etc. (similar workshops have been offered for teens as well) 

Short-Statured Men/Women’s Discussion Groups – discussion of issues relevant to short-statured men and women respectively     

Life in High School – discussion of what issues to expect in high school 

Alterations by You – demonstration and discussions for doing your own clothing alterations 

Career Planning and Job Search Tips – for high school age and above; discussion of educational and vocational training options and resources available for assistance, job search tips, and one-on-one coaching for those who want more assistance 

Heighten Your Sensuality and Intimacy (21 and older only – for singles, couples, and same sex couples) – mature discussion of ways for short-statured individuals to develop more intimate relationships with techniques adapted to their range of motion and ability 

Going to College – discussion of issues relating to short-statured people in the college environment 

Driving Issues and Modifications – discussion of issues and adaptations available to assist short-statured people with driving 

Kitchen and Bath Adaptations – discussion of ways which kitchens and bathrooms can be altered to be more accessible to short-statured individuals 

Interspatial (mixed) couples – discussion of issues for those involved in relationships where one individual is short-statured and the other is average height 

            Additionally, LPA usually offers numerous workshops related to specific forms of dwarfism and medical issues.