Ask most people with dwarfism about dating and you'll hear two complaints. The first is that on mainstream apps, the height filter quietly hides them from half the people they might like. The second is the attention they do get, which too often comes from people who are curious about their height and not much else.
Our site is for disabled singles and everyone happy to date them, and this part of it is for little people, people with dwarfism or short stature, and the average-height singles who'd genuinely like to meet them. Nobody here filters you out by the inch. You're a person with a job, a sense of humour and an opinion on whether pineapple belongs on a pizza, and that's where conversations start.
Some of the people on SingleDisabled
Language around dwarfism varies, and the best rule is to use whatever the person in front of you uses. Many people with dwarfism are perfectly comfortable with "dwarf". Others prefer "person with dwarfism", "little person" or "person of short stature", and in the UK you'll also hear "restricted growth". All of those are fine to use on here, and you can describe yourself however you like on your profile.
There's also one word that's an insult, has always been an insult, and you'll never see us use it. If someone uses it in a message, they've answered every question you had about them. Block and report.
Height's a detail. Chemistry isn't.
There are more than four hundred types of dwarfism, and achondroplasia is the most common, but you'd never guess that from how most people talk about it. Little people come from every walk of life: teachers, nurses, programmers, actors, mums and dads, people who've been part of the dwarfism community since childhood and people who've never been to a single meet-up.
Some people with dwarfism want to date someone who shares the experience. Some have only ever dated average-height partners and are perfectly happy to keep it that way. And some average-height singles are interested in dating a little person because they like the person, not the novelty. Every combination works for somebody, and dwarfism dating here covers all of them, from little people dating each other to mixed-height couples.
Height differences are the bit people overthink, and couples mostly laugh about it. Kissing hello becomes a bit of choreography. Holding hands on a walk can need some negotiating. One of you will always reach the top shelf. None of it matters much once you actually like each other.
What does matter is how the average-height partner handles the outside world, because dating a dwarf in public means dealing with other people. Strangers stare. Some take photos, which is rude and, frankly, horrible to deal with. Some say something stupid within earshot. A good partner doesn't make a scene unless their date wants one, doesn't act embarrassed, and doesn't treat every stare as a crisis. They follow their partner's lead and get on with the evening.
A few practical things make first dates easier, and saying them out loud early is completely normal. Bar stools and high tables are a pain. Tall counters at the bar mean someone else ordering for you, which gets old fast. Packed standing venues mean a night staring at people's backs. So booths and normal-height tables win, and so do restaurants, cafés, pubs with proper seating, and anywhere you can both sit at eye level.
Some of the best first dates on here take the furniture out of the equation altogether. A walk by the water, a gallery, a comedy night where you've booked seats, a Sunday roast. Choose somewhere you'd enjoy, and if you're the one with dwarfism, don't be shy about picking the venue yourself. You know which places work.
A profile might say any of these:
Most of this is common sense, but it's surprising how often it goes wrong. Don't pat them on the head, pick them up or lean on their shoulder like an armrest, even as a joke. Don't make the first conversation about their height, their parents' height or what they can and can't reach. Skip the fantasy film references. They've heard them all, usually from strangers in the street.
Do the things you'd do on any good date. Ask about their job, their friends, the holiday they're planning. Let them choose the seats. If you're walking somewhere, match their pace rather than striding ahead. And if you're not sure whether something's helpful or patronising, ask. A little person will tell you straight, and they'll like you more for asking.
Some people search for things like "date a dwarf" because they've met someone, liked them and want more of that. Lovely. Some search because they have a thing for height difference and very little interest in who you actually are. That's less lovely, and it's common enough that most little people have a radar for it.
You'll usually spot it fast. The messages are all about your body and nothing about your life. They ask questions nobody would ask anyone else. They don't remember your name. You're under no obligation to reply, explain or educate. Keep chatting on SingleDisabled rather than handing out your number, use private photos so only people you trust see more of you, and block and report anyone who crosses the line.
Some types of dwarfism come with health stuff: back and joint pain, breathing issues, surgeries, a body that gets tired faster than you'd like. Plenty of people with dwarfism have nothing much to report beyond needing a step stool. Either way, you decide what you tell people, and when. Nobody on a dating site is entitled to your medical history.
If you're both little people and things get serious, the question of children tends to come up sooner or later, because some types of dwarfism can be passed on. That's a conversation for the two of you, at your own pace, and your GP can refer you for genetic counselling if you'd like proper information. It's not a first-date topic, and nobody should raise it on yours.
If your dwarfism means you use a wheelchair or scooter some of the time, dating as a wheelchair user covers a lot of the practicalities. If you live with chronic pain or fatigue, there's more on dating when your energy varies too.
Write a profile that shows who you are. Not your height, but your weekends, your humour, the thing you can talk about for an hour. Add a photo or two, keep some private if you want, and use messaging or voice notes to get to know people before you meet. Looking for a dwarf dating app or a little people dating site? You don't need a separate app; the site works in your phone's browser. If you want the bigger picture first, have a look around everything else SingleDisabled offers, or try our first-date ideas for disabled daters.
SingleDisabled is a dating site for disabled singles and their potential partners, with a section written for little people and people with dwarfism. You can meet people of all heights here, including people with short stature looking to date each other and average-height singles who'd genuinely like to date a little person.
Follow the person you're talking to. Many people with dwarfism are comfortable with "dwarf", others prefer "little person", "person with dwarfism" or "short stature", and "restricted growth" is common in the UK. All of these are fine on SingleDisabled. One slur is never acceptable here, and anyone who uses it should be blocked and reported.
Yes, as long as you're interested in the person, not just their height. Many relationships between little people and average-height partners are happy and long-lasting. Say on your profile what you're looking for, ask about someone's life rather than their body, and be ready to handle the odd stare from strangers calmly.
You don't have to put up with it. If messages focus on your body and never on you, stop replying, block them and report them. Keep conversations on SingleDisabled until you trust someone, and share private photos only with people you've got to know. The right people tend to stand out quickly.
Find the corner of the site that feels like yours, or wander through all of them.