Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
đ¨PBS LEARNING MOMENTđ¨ What are the correct terms to use when discussing the little person community? The answer may be simpler than you think. "Dwarfism" is a medical category that encompasses hundreds of skeletal dysplasias, while âlittle personâ is a less medicalized and more inclusive term. Many LPs chose not to self-identify as âdwarfâ and may be more comfortable with the term âdwarfâ as a descriptor of culture, pride and identity rather than an individual. But some, including filmmaker Julie Wyman, make the choice to self-identify as a âdwarfâ as a political act of reclaiming ownership of a term that has been used to harm, thus the filmâs title "The Tallest Dwarf." When all else fails? Don't be afraid to ask what someone prefers or just use their name! đ
đ¨PBS LEARNING MOMENTđ¨ What are the correct terms to use when discussing the little person community? The answer may be simpler than you think. "Dwarfism" is a medical category that encompasses hundreds of skeletal dysplasias, while âlittle personâ is a less medicalized and more inclusive term. Many LPs chose not to self-identify as âdwarfâ and may be more comfortable with the term âdwarfâ as a descriptor of culture, pride and identity rather than an individual. But some, including filmmaker Julie Wyman, make the choice to self-identify as a âdwarfâ as a political act of reclaiming ownership of a term that has been used to harm, thus the filmâs title "The Tallest Dwarf." When all else fails? Don't be afraid to ask what someone prefers or just use their name! đ
