About Us

The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada

From Local to Global: Supporting Athletes with Dwarfism Every Step of the Way!

DAAC is dedicated to breaking down barriers in everyday life by providing equitable, amateur-level athletic opportunities for individuals with dwarfism.

Our initiatives aim to offer a chance to play, train, and compete on an equal footing, benefiting children, youth, and adults regardless of their skill level. We are committed to enhancing the health and well-being of those with dwarfism.

In addition to our athletic programs, we work to raise awareness and acceptance by educating the public about dwarfism. Our goal is to demonstrate that individuals with dwarfism are capable and deserving of dignity and respect.

We proudly support athletes who are part of our Dwarf Sports Team Canada. Our athletes have achieved remarkable success, including earning 65 medals in 2013 and 105 medals in 2017. The World Dwarf Games, held every four years, are a highlight of our efforts. In 2017, we had the honour of hosting the games in Guelph, Ontario, attracting athletes from around the world.

The 2023 WDG in Cologne, Germany were an incredibly successful event for DAAC, in which a team of 46 Canadian athletes competed and brought home 57 medals. These are high participation numbers for Canada, second only to the 2017 WDG hosted on Canadian soil.

Some Cool Facts

Numbers Speak For Themselves

Medals in 2013

Medals in 2017

Metals in 2023

Our Mission

Community Engagement

The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada (DAAC) provides programs promoting health, and designed to improve functioning, adjustment, and build self-esteem for people with dwarfism. DAAC provides opportunities for persons with dwarfism to be integrated into such activities and/or to participate in team sports and physical activity designed to be accessible to our Little Person community.
These programs are open to everyone with dwarfism regardless of their level of ability or skill. DAAC is dedicated to conducting outreach and recruitment of all Little People participants to be as inclusive as possible. The programs are not aimed at the selection and training of individuals with a view to developing professional athletes for a career in sport.

Health and Fitness Initiatives

In addition to children, youth, and adults with dwarfism, DAAC’s charitable activities also extend to relieve conditions associated with aging by delivering health, fitness, and sports programs to help address conditions normally attributable to old age for people with dwarfism. These programs focus on maintaining health, fitness, or mobility and relieving isolation, all in an environment accessible to individuals of short stature and their families.

Purpose

The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada (DAAC) aims to relieve conditions associated with a disability by providing athletic and recreational programs to support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of children and adults with dwarfism. Like other groups of disabled people, many of the barriers and obstacles faced by individuals with dwarfism are put in place by society, even before any of the potential medical complications of dwarfism are considered. These include barriers to participating in publicly available sports activities that promote health and well-being. DAAC’s programming removes barriers and obstacles to participation by delivering sports activities whereby individuals with dwarfism can train, play, and compete in an equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment.

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