Jonathan Novick, 22, has a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia. When he moved to New York City, he was surprised by all of the insensitivity that he encountered every day and he decided to film?his experience.
?I wanted to stop telling people what happened to me and I wanted to start showing people what happened to me,? he said. ?I wanted to show everyone what a day in my life was like.?
Novick hid a camera under his clothes and started walking around the city and used his incredible footage for a short documentary: “Don’t Look Down On Me.”
In addition to the stares he gets, people actually say unbelievable things:
“Little midget! Little man, big p**is.”
“What is he?”
Also, a lot of people seem to think it’s OK to take photos of him. One guy even says that he looks like another little person that he saw on TV and then claims “I hope I didn’t offend you. Can I get a picture?”
His aim with this project was to give the world a glimpse into the lives of little people and dwarfism and to encourage other people to consider the feelings of people who are different from them.
?The next time you see someone who is different than you, think about what their day might be like,” he says, “think about all the events of their life leading up to that point, and think about their day ? and think about what part of their day you want to be??
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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
