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Media

Media that represents disability is something we’re passionate about at Rooted in Rights. In these pieces, you’ll learn why authentic representation is so important to making change.

Ask to Vax!

COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth with Disabilities #AskToVax
DREDF, YO! Disabled & Proud, and Rooted in Rights have joined together to help disabled California Youth learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five and up. Children and youth with underlying
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A fair-skinned, dark-haired person holds a megaphone to their mouth. They're joined by out-of-focus protestors in the background.

It Doesn’t Get Better: Online Activism and TMAU Awareness

A parent with the odor-related medical condition trimethylaminuria (TMAU) recently drew attention to an episode of the NetFlix series Word Party titled “The Search for the Stink Monster.” It reportedly teaches children “You’re never stinky as long as you have …
Two older white women, characters Grace and Frankie, sitting outdoors in separate patio chairs while holding hands and gazing at each other.

This Isn’t A Cane, It’s A Weapon: Ageism, Ableism, and Grace and Frankie

One thing that always frustrated me was when elders would compare my disability to theirs. At first, I brushed off my frustration as reactions to their sometimes ableist and adultist comments. A common assumption I frequently confront is “You’re too …
Denarii Grace stands outdoors on a sunny day, smiling at the camera in jeans and a black lace top, surrounded by trees..

Turning the Page: Meet Rooted in Rights’ New Editor-in-Chief, Denarii Grace!

CONTENT NOTE: brief mention of domestic abuse (no details)   I began with singing. Then I swam in songwriting. By the time I graduated from elementary school, I was riding the waves of poetry and playwriting. I would be in…
A grayscale photo of a Black woman in a flowy white top and skirt, holding a cane in one hand, her other hand outstretched. Her eyes are peacefully closed. She is standing in an overgrown field with trees behind her.

Queen Jasmeen: Creating Space for Disability Through Poetry

“Poetry was the first way I asked for help.” –Jasmine “Queen Jasmeen” Schlafke Slam poet and disability justice advocate Jasmine Schlafke began writing at age twelve and began competing in slam poetry in 2011, where starting in 2012 she won…
A blurred photo of a scattered pile of newspapers, printed all in black and white.

Disability is More Than Just Inspiration or Trauma. When Will Media Cover it Authentically?

When I first started getting approached to write about disability in the media, I was beyond excited. After blogging for years in my little bubble, it felt like I was finally breaking into a space where I could make some…
A close-up of a typewriter with a piece of paper in it that says "success stories." The words are crossed out with a black line.

I Do Not Owe You a Disability “Success” Story

The shame I experience because of my disability is a feeling that I do not always feel welcome to express. It is a feeling that manifests simply for being the way that I am and knowing that there is not…
Half of an illustrated outline of an Oscar award, surrounded by gold stars and purple, pink, and green sparkles.

Crip Camp Deserves an Oscar Win for Subverting Typical Narratives and Centralizing Disabled People

“I wanted to be part of the world, but I didn’t see anyone like me in it.” These words, spoken by James LeBrecht indicate the lack of disability representation in media. Countering this lack of representation, LeBrecht set…
A question mark made out of stacks of U.S. dollar bills.

Are Celebrity-Studded “Autism-Fundraisers” Actually Supporting Autistic People?

Back in 2015, about four months prior to my own diagnosis, a video went viral of an autistic singer named Jodi Dipiazza singing the Weird Al Yankovic song “Yoda” alongside the singer himself and a chorus of seven other autistic…