First little person on the cover of Vogue magazine

The first little person to feature on the cover of Vogue magazine is Sinéad Burke (Ireland), who appeared on the front of the September 2019 edition of British Vogue. The cover choice was made by the magazine's guest editor, Her Royal Highness, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who selected Burke as one of the most important "trailblazing changemakers" in Britain and Ireland. Burke, a passionate campaigner for disability rights, was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of dwarfism.

The "Forces for Change" cover, as it is known, was widely applauded. As Burke wrote in Vogue: "The response I have received has been overwhelmingly supportive, uplifting, and really quite emotional. Parents of little people have sent me photographs of their babies holding the magazine tightly to their chests. Teenagers who look like me have got in touch to ask questions about how they can work in fashion, and disabled people from every corner of the world have appeared in my Instagram DMs, articulating the power of representation and their hopes that greater visibility will extend to all intersections and disabilities."

The term "little person" (or "LP") is the language that Sinéad prefers but some people prefer the term “dwarf”, “person of short stature” or “person of restricted growth" to describe themselves. As Burke points out in her advocacy, it is important that the personal preference of the disabled person is respected.