Little People meeting, competing in Seattle area

Hundreds of people from all over the United States are visiting the Seattle area this week for the Little People of America conference.

The LPA, which is the largest dwarf organization in the world, was founded 50 years ago as a social club and activist organization by Billy Barty, an actor with dwarfism.

The LPA provides advocacy, education, support and health-care referrals on behalf of the estimated 1.5 million dwarfs in the country.

Also taking place are the National Dwarf Games, held today at Seattle's Roosevelt High School. The games continue through midweek.

Jake Smith, 18, an athlete from Espanola, N.M., is here for both events. Smith was thrilled with accolades, high-fives and the gold medal for winning the 100-meter dash.

But the best part of the event — and perhaps the whole week's worth of events — was the simplest of pleasures.

"It's just being able to meet people and look them eye-to-eye instead of looking up at them all the time," he said.