Rooted in Rights uses accessible digital media to advance the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities.

 
 

Rooted in Rights is a program of Disability Rights Washington.

 

Our Values

 

Accessible Digital Content

We are dedicated to making content accessible and creative at the same time. We include captions, audio description, image descriptions, and transcripts in our video content and on social media to ensure access, and we advocate for other creators and digital platforms to prioritize accessible digital spaces.

Person-Centered Storytelling

In the spirit of the disability community’s motto, “nothing about us without us,” we believe that disabled people should be the ones telling our own stories. We value authentic representation and narratives that highlight the diverse experiences of the disability community.  

What We Do

  We produce media to amplify perspectives from the disability community. We produce videos, blog posts, and social media campaigns that center people with disabilities. We strive to include diverse, authentic representation of multiply-marginalized disabled folks, including those that identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and immigrants. We use accessible digital media to support other advocacy work. We partner with Disability Rights Washington, Protection and Advocacy agencies, and community-led organizations to produce accessible advocacy content on disability rights issues. We train people to be agents of change. We offer presentations and workshops on self advocacy through storytelling and how to create accessible digital media.  

Awards

2016 Convener Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities 2016 Advocacy Award from the Superfest International Disability Film Festival 2017 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind 2017 Induction into the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame 2018 Achievement in Audio Description – Media Award from the American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project 2019 Transportation Innovator Award from Downtown on the Go 2019 Vision for Justice Award from Puget Sound Sage 2019 induction into the Transportation Coalition Hall of Fame And various film festival laurels for our disability rights documentaries!

Funding Information

Rooted in Rights’ funding comes primarily from private grants with a small portion coming from federal funding grants.  We are part of the Protection and Advocacy Network and utilize limited funding from the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities grant (2101WAPDD) and the Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology grant (2101WAPAAT). While the Protection & Advocacy system receives funding from SAMHSA, that grant is not used for Rooted in Rights. The Rooted in Rights blog is not funded by any federal grants and is funded entirely by private grants and your donations. Rooted in Rights content is the sole responsibility of Disability Rights Washington and does not necessarily represent the official views of funding entities. We appreciate the support of our donors! To fund our disabled storytellers, click here to donate to Rooted in Rights.