Posted: | July 24, 2013 04:49 PM |
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From: | Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Dwarfism Awareness Month - October 2013 |
In the near future, I will introduce a resolution designating October 2013 as “Dwarfism Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. Dwarfism is a rare medical condition, with an estimated 30,000 people in the United States and more than 650,000 people worldwide having some type of dwarfism. Dwarfism affects bone growth but generally does not affect cognitive abilities and is a recognized condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act. While the medical prognosis for persons with dwarfism is highly individualized, the majority of persons with dwarfism enjoy normal intelligence, normal life spans and reasonably good health but other persons with dwarfism will require surgeries or other medical interventions to address complications and to maximize mobility. Moreover, the preferred terminology for persons with dwarfism includes “persons of short stature,” “persons having dwarfism” or "little persons” and the term “midget,” is antiquated, may offend persons with dwarfism. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HR433