Little People of America, Inc.

The organization's major programs are: * Health Advocacy Fund - a program which assists people with dwarfism with one time medical expenses related to their short stature that are not covered by existing insurance or other benefits. * Kitchens Conference Travel Fund - a program which assists people with dwarfism and their families requiring financial assistance to attend a national LPA conference for the first time. National conferences are held in a different North American city each year and provide free medical consultations, clinics, workshops, social networking, and lifestyle assistance. * Educational Scholarships - a program which awards a select number of scholarships to approved applicants. * Adoption Program - children born with dwarfism are often unwanted by their natural parents, especially in developing and communist countries. This program, under the direction of the LPA Adoption Coordinator, provides financial assistance for potential parents who seek to adopt a child with dwarfism. * Dwarf Artist Coalition - a program which supports and celebrates dwarf artists in all media types. LPA provides funding to facilitate a yearly Dwarf Art Exhibit at the national conference. * Public Access - this program supports LPA's participation in the development of national and international accessibility standards for people with dwarfism (and other disabilities). LPA is actively representive on the ANSI 117.1 Committee, and participates in International [Building] Code Council meetings which determine accessibility standards for the construction of public facilities. * NEW PROGRAMS (2002) - COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM (educating school-aged children and others about dwarfism in order to foster a more positive and accepting society); TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (leveraging internet and computer technology to improve the organization's effectiveness in accomplishing its mission); MEDICAL RESOURCE CENTER (a program to develop a public, online medical database containing comprehensive information on the causes, conditions, and complications of dwarfism, reviewed and maintained by medical professionals who specialize in dwarfism); DWARFISM CENSUS (a program to capture and analyze data from people with dwarfism, for the purposes of supporting legislation, medical research, insurance policy appeals, fundraising, and social advocacy for people with dwarfism).