MÉRIDA.- “I do everything normal, the only thing different is my size,” says Angélica Estrella Esperón, a short womanwho always had to adapt to achieve his goals.
“Stools are always very essential for us,” he adds. Geisell Valdez Gonzalezpresident of the association Little People of Merida, who details the challenges they face, within the framework of the World Day of Short People, which is commemorated on October 25.
“One of the main challenges is mobility. Transporting ourselves day after day from one place to another, especially on public transportation… the steps are very high for us. There are some who are already adapted, but there are others who are not yet,” explains Geisell, who is 43 years old and drives vehicles.
The woman, who works as secretary at the state DIF, details that in achondroplasia there are more than 700 types of dysplasias, which implies that each of the short people They have different characteristics. “Some have shorter arms, others have shorter legs, or a torso… So, there are some who find some things easier and others who don’t.”
Challenges of short people
In addition to this, he also considers it a challenge to have people’s empathy, “because there are those who can help you get on public transport and there are people who ignore you.”
Angélica, who is 54 years old and dedicated to housework, affirms that she always overcomes the obstacles that are presented to her. “I see how to adapt so that I can achieve my goal,” he explains, describing that he does all kinds of domestic activities.
For them, the key words are inclusion and respect. “I know it’s very difficult because we attract a lot of attention. But nowadays there are still people who when we go out on the street point at you, call you dwarf, short,” says Geysell, who has been leading the local group for 13 years.
“We are normal people”
“That is the objective of the group, to create a culture of inclusion and respect for all short people. See ourselves as average people, because we are normal. The only difference between those of average size and us is the size.
“In reality, we are human beings, we have feelings, we cry, we have dreams, we have rights. So, I believe that nothing more is a little bit of having that empathy to include us and treat us like average people.”
The woman remembers that just in 2019 the achondroplasia was included in the Disability Act. Before that, it was not recognized as a disability. This has implied greater openness in the work and sports fields. Currently, for example, there are short Yucatecan athletes. In work environments, small people may require adaptation of their workspaces, including the use of benches.
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Coexistence of little people
Geisell details that coexistence between short people can be very fun, but in some cases it can be complicated. “Meeting a little one can be very difficult because it is a reflection of you, of how you see yourself. Sometimes it is a process to accept that you have a condition. For some it has been easy and for others it has not.”
In this sense there are little people conferences that are carried out annually in other states. As a result of his attendance at these events, the idea of forming a group in Mérida. It was also there where she met her now husband, who is also short, is a native of Sonora and changed his residence to Yucatán.
“I have had to participate in conferences and what is normally said is that it becomes a world of the little ones; because you see everyone dancing. There is no average and everyone looks at your height. You dance super well and you have fun.
“When there is coexistence between pure little ones, I believe that there is that confidence that we can be ourselves. In other words, we have a moment for ourselves. It is not because outside of that we cannot be ourselves. It is that we have to get used to adapting to the outside world,” explains Geisell Valdés.
Inclusion of short people
The interviewees invite people to join the culture of inclusion and respect for short people. Believe me, there are new generations of children coming who are having a hard time getting ahead. They are studying and sometimes they don’t want to go to school, because they start being singled out. So, I think this comes from home, where parents teach children to respect other children. And I believe that if this were the case, the lives of people with short stature would be different,” says Geisell. Text by Jessica Ruiz Rubio; photographs by Ilse Noh and Carlos de la Cruz; video by Jennifer Cetz
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