[karousel]

I'm writing an essay and am discussing the way society is built around catering for those that fit the status quo - people with needs that are 'the norm' (?) - and the reasons for and against this.

I'm currently writing about 'little people'; I've heard people with dwarfism refer to themselves in this way but was wondering if this is the correct phrase to use ?
I've not got much knowledge of dwarfism so I'm worried the phrase 'little people' could be offensive if it's 'wrong' - does anyone know ?

This also isn't meant to sound patronising, I'm just worried about using a phrase that I think is correct but is actually just as insulting as the 'n' or 's' words...

[alex5455]

vertically challenged

[Drunk Punx]

(Original post by alex5455)
vertically challenged

Beat me to it

[Snagprophet]

What's going to happen when 'vertically challenged' becomes the next derogatory term?

[TheHansa]

Do you mean people with dwarfism or people who are just short?

[Leon Trotsky]

Titch.

[Becca94]

fun sized

[Norton1]

You might offend someone, but on the bright side they're not going to be able to do something about it. As Ricky Gervais says, it's international terrorists I stay clear of insulting.

[EonBlueApocalypse]

Dwarf. Dwarfism is a medical condition.

[barnetbuzzzz]

Surely "people with dwarfism" makes most sense, especially considering you explicitly mentioned dwarfism?

Although in everyday speech I just call them midgets. Obviously not in front of them though.

[karousel]

(Original post by barnetbuzzzz)
Surely "people with dwarfism" makes most sense, especially considering you explicitly mentioned dwarfism?

Although in everyday speech I just call them midgets. Obviously not in front of them though.

I don't think I explained very well in my original post, sorry... I meant, is there a specific 'PC Term' for people with dwarfism that societies might use rather than saying 'people with dwarfism' ?
I want to highlight that people are often defined and categorised by attributes such as 'having dwarfism' and discuss whether this is a form of prejudice (for want of a better word) because sometimes people overlook individual attributes because they're so hung up on that person having dwarfism... or is it just an innocent description of a person... if that makes sense... so is 'dwarf' the 'accepted' term ? I'm really not explaining this very well at all but I'm worried about sounding like an *******.

& thank you

[barnetbuzzzz]

(Original post by karousel)
I don't think I explained very well in my original post, sorry... I meant, is there a specific 'PC Term' for people with dwarfism that societies might use rather than saying 'people with dwarfism' ?
I want to highlight that people are often defined and categorised by attributes such as 'having dwarfism' and discuss whether this is a form of prejudice (for want of a better word) because sometimes people overlook individual attributes because they're so hung up on that person having dwarfism... or is it just an innocent description of a person... if that makes sense... so is 'dwarf' the 'accepted' term ? I'm really not explaining this very well at all but I'm worried about sounding like an *******.

& thank you

Well, dwarfism is a recognised medical condition. If you can't refer to a person with dwarfism in that way, how can you refer to them?

I read somewhere that in the public sector, workers are told to separate the person from their condition, so instead of "dwarf" it's "person with dwarfism" etc.

I personally think this is taking PC too far, if you call a person with dwarfism a dwarf there's clearly no offence intended, but I'm just parroting what has been in use in the public sector for a while.

[Alpharius]

Midget.

That's what they are called where I'm from, and none of them care.

[geetar]

I read somewhere (it might even have been on Wikipedia) that "Dwarf", even though it is actually a medical term, is seen as a bit offensaive.

[daisydaffodil]

You call them people suffering with disorders of the brain leading to abnormally small stature - or people suffering from pituatary gland issues leading to abnormally small stature etc, if you want to be as politically correct as possible. It's calling the person a "whatever" that's offensive I think as it (linguistically at least) suggests they are only that thing, or that thing affects the whole of their being or something.. Separating the condition and the person acknowledges that the condition has little bearing on who the person is, I think.

It's not something that would offend me though. I just see it as a shorter, easier way of explaining or refering to people. Saying "There are twenty five dwarves living in Glasgow" sounds easier than "There are 25 individuals living in Glasgow who suffer from diseases that cause a small stature". I think to find it offensive you'd have to be really looking for it and analysing too much! .. Then again in an essay situation you probably want to use the above stuff and say something like "people suffering with xyz - also known colloquially as .. "

[MrHappy_J]

I thought little people was meant to be the PC term.

[Above.The.Empyrean]

A diminutive anthropomorphised mythological entity.

[weirdnessandcoffee]

I'm a 'little person'. Just about 5ft, I get called midget, dwarf, little person- but frankly, doesn't bother me.
Actually, its probably because people say it in a friendly way.

[AtomSmasher]

'Little person' is bloody cringeworthy. I haven't met many people with dwarfism but if I found that I needed a term to describe them I would just ask.

[manchesterunited15]

hobbit?