The Real Reason The 7 Little Johnstons Use Standard Furniture
The Johnston family has quickly endeared themselves to fans of reality television. It's been five years since TLC first brought us 7 Little Johnstons, a show about the family of seven living with achondroplasia dwarfism. Parents Trent and Amber raise their two biological kids, Jonah and Elizabeth, as well as adopted children Anna, Alex, and Emma. The Johnstons simply wanted to show people that they're like any other family in the country (via IMDb).
"There's a lot of little-people shows, but I think our bigger message is nothing stops Trent and I," Amber told People. "We have no problem taking on obstacles that probably 5-foot- and 6½-foot-tall people would be like, 'Hell no. I'm not going to do that.' We don't let size get in the way."
Trent agreed that their family is dedicated to meeting life's obstacles. "Amber and I do everything ourselves," he said. "There has been one or two times we had to ask a neighbor for help to tote something in the house but that's about it."
The Johnstons don't make special accommodations for themselves
Many living with dwarfism make accommodations in order to make life easier for them. While the Johnstons understand and respect people who choose to do that, they do not. In an appearance on 20/20 in 2012, they explained why. "We strive to raise our children in the world that's not built for them," Amber said (via YouTube).
In a separate interview with People, Trent explained that he knows what his kids will face out in the world. "Once they walk out this door, no part of this world is built for them," he said.
The family hopes the show makes the lives of those living with dwarfism more accessible and, therefore, normalizes it. "Our goal in this show is social acceptance," Amber told Fox411. "We want society to look at us as people — as human beings — and people with differences. Don't look at us like an object."