Children with dwarfism discuss why accessibility, awareness are needed in Hong Kong

While the condition comes with some everyday struggles for Josie – for example, she cannot play basketball with friends at school nor does she meet the requirements for her favourite ride at Disneyland – she remains upbeat. The teen attributes much of this optimism to her parents and their Christian faith.

“[My parents] told me that this is a gift from God,” Josie said, adding that she is also a Christian. “These are the challenges he gave me that I need to overcome, but that will not make me feel sad.”

But a positive attitude does not always deter people from making unkind comments or staring at her. Josie said that when she was young, people would pick on her.

“When someone said something mean to me, [my cousin] always stood in front of me and told them to stop,” she said.

Thankfully, at St Mark’s School, Josie’s friends are understanding of her condition. But the unkind words often come from strangers.

“Even if you don’t understand [why I am short] ... you still need to respect that in this world, everyone is different,” Josie said.

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Much of Josie’s confidence in navigating adolescence as a little person is thanks to her involvement with Little People of Hong Kong from an early age.

The charity advocates for the rights of little people, educates the public and supports those with dwarfism.

Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the group was founded in 2014 by Serene Chu, an average-height person whose son has achondroplasia.

“If we have a ... group, we can talk to each other. We can tell each other problems about school, how to take care of our children, where to buy clothes – daily problems we can help each other solve,” Chu said.

Made up of 40 families, the charity organises meet-ups and fundraising activities. Next month, they are planning a large event to celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month.

Josie enjoys these chances to meet people like herself.

“I can know more about the people who are older than me and have the same condition – how they faced challenges when they grew up,” she said.

“Also, I can share my experiences with the younger [members] to tell them they are not alone, and if they have any problem, we can always support them.”

Josie, whose dream job is teaching Chinese history, said, “Your ability is not limited by your appearance. You just need to accept [challenges] and overcome them ... What’s most important is you need to trust yourself [and] love yourself.”

Six-year-old Novah Macalligan and her mother Cruzanne are also regular attendees of Little People of Hong Kong’s events.

Novah was born with cartilage hair hypoplasia – a form of dwarfism that leaves her with a weakened immune system, fine hair and a proportionally small body.

Cruzanne, who is of average height, has always been transparent with Novah about her condition, making sure to teach her daughter about self-love and self-advocacy. For Novah’s first day of school, her family helped her make a video explaining her condition.

“I never told anyone [about my dwarfism]. Then, I practised and practised and practised, and I made a big video,” Novah explained. “Then, we all watched it on the first day of school.”

While Novah’s schooling experiences have mostly been positive, she still hears mean comments and experiences bullying. In particular, she said she hated people “putting things out of my reach [and] calling me a baby”.

Novah has learned to stand up for herself in these situations, telling them: “I am not a baby – I have dwarfism, which means I grow differently.”

For the six-year-old, most comments from strangers are not malicious. Rather, people just do not understand that she is older than she looks.

“[They’re] incredibly impressed that she can talk and ride a scooter,” Cruzanne said. Because people with dwarfism can be in pain after walking long distances, many of them use scooters to get around.

Like Josie, Novah has learned to view her condition with positivity, thanks to her family’s support.

“It’s like the Little People of Hong Kong slogan: little, but not less,” Cruzanne said.

“They might be small, but they should still have access to the same opportunities. It doesn’t take much to make spaces or opportunities more accessible to more people.There are lots of different ways to be a human.”

The mother explained that accessibility for little people meant adding stools by counters and sinks, creating more ramps, installing automatic doors and making public spaces more friendly for wheelchairs and scooters.

Eager to share advice for other youngsters with similar conditions, Novah said: “Even though you are different, it doesn’t mean you can’t do [the same things].”

“Everyone is special in unique ways, and they need to understand who they are.”

Why this story matters: A 2018 survey for the Equal Opportunities Commission found that more than 40 per cent of Hongkongers held negative stereotypes of little people. Thus, Little People of Hong Kong’s advocacy is crucial for making the city more inclusive.