Ron Pagano

Reader

With recent public discourse about anti-semitic, Islamophobic and racist rhetoric, I remembered that derogatory names aren’t new. Every disabled person knows it happens a lot.

As an activist in the disabled rights movement for 50 years, I’m aware of words ableists (those who discriminate in favor of the able bodied) use to denigrate the disabled. Some express their self-perceived superiority. Others are ignorant of the impact of the words they use so thoughtlessly.

As with African-Americans throughout our history, the disabled have also had names.

The disabled have many names, depending on the disability. Use of the word "cripple" was once universal; when I was a child, I had surgeries at the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children, now simply Shriner’s Hospital. Cripple generally referred to any disability that was obvious and easily seen.

"Little people" were referred to as "midgets." I am especially sensitive to this one since I am a little person.

P.T. Barnum introduced Gen. Tom Thumb to the public in the 1860s. Midget’s origin referred to very small flies — "midges" — from the early 1800s. It’s impossible to think about the term without visioning the freak sideshows for which Barnum was famous.

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Most in our society understand that racially insensitive words are offensive and shouldn’t be used. Some will use them because they express ignorant, racist attitudes.

For little people, the words, "cripple" and "midget" are equally offensive. Although the disabled weren’t hated the way blacks were, owned as slaves or lynched, we had legal "mercy killings," "euthanasia" and "eugenics."

It wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that the disabled spoke up on their own behalf, demanding equality in education, housing, transportation, employment, recreation and other areas, taken for granted by the abled. Laws were enacted to secure rights, culminating with the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and its major revisions in 2010. Passing this legislation took decades of protests, sit-ins, blocking traffic in major cities and even protesting the Jerry Lewis Telethon, which portrayed disabled children as helpless and on death's door.

Today, ableists fail to understand why "midget" is so offensive to little people. They don't believe that midget wrestling, midget paintball, midget tossing or calling someone a midget is hurtful. It is, not only to me but my two children, who saw me only as "Dad."

Midget harkens back to when little people were “fortunate” to find work in circuses, traveling sideshows or as comedians for kings. When I started practicing law, several attorneys tried to intimidate me in court, using their height and booming voices, only to be surprised when I beat them at trial.

In the final analysis, it doesn't matter what abled people think about the word midget. The only thing that matters is whether little people are offended. Many abled people understand, and never use the M-word; however, it is still in use. Suggestion: Use little person, dwarf or, better yet, my name. You'll get a much nicer response, I guarantee you!

Ron Pagano is a former attorney, community activist and president of ENDEAVOR Disabled Advocacy Inc, an organization working to educate individuals, government, organizations and businesses about disabled rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. He can be reached at EndeavorDisabledAdvocacy@gmail.com or on Facebook.