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.
- Activism and Advocacy
- Autism and Neurodiversity
- Community Living
- Criminal Justice
- Disability History and Culture
- Disability Vote
- Education
- Emergency Preparedness
- Employment
- Family
- Health
- LGBTQIA+
- Media
- Mental Health
- Policy
- Race and Disability
- Relationships and Sex
- Sexual Harassment and Abuse
- Storytellers
- Technology
- Transportation
The Ableist Lens of Hollywood
Hollywood’s most recent depiction of disability is inspired by a true story, told through the lens of ableism. The Upside is a film that tells the story of an ex-convict (played by Kevin Hart) who lands a position as a …
Why Inspirational Memes About Mental Health Disabilities Are So Damaging
As a person with mental health disabilities, nothing makes me seethe like those who create inspirational memes that do more damage than good to the people in my community. Whenever I encounter such feel-good shibboleths, my hands tense, my breathing …
I’m a Blind Woman. Here’s My Take on the “Bird Box Challenge.”
SPOILER ALERT: This post discusses important plot points from the movie Bird Box in detail. I’m a blind woman who has a few thoughts on Bird Box, and I hope this doesn’t get lost among the sea of memes from …
With Great Power Comes Great Accessibility – How the Death of Stan Lee Affects the Disability Community
On November 12, 2018, our cultural light was dimmed with the loss of Stan Lee. Often described in the same manner as the characters he created, the loss of the mighty, spectacular, and at times uncanny Stanley Martin Lieber will…
If You’re Writing About Disability, You Need to Read These Guidelines
Sometimes I imagine what the media’s typical coverage of disability might say if it was written about me—covering the two proms I went to with my girlfriend in high school, celebrating my ability to graduate from college after almost failing …
How the Film “Wonder” is Commercializing Facial Difference
As a writer and activist, there’s no feeling quite like finding out a professor at a well known university used my work in their class to start a discussion about disfigurement and equality for individuals living with physical differences. I …
Dear Meryl Streep: We Don’t Want Pity, We Want Progress
I didn’t watch the Golden Globes, but saw Meryl Streep’s speech the next day. As she blatantly called out the president-elect on his bullying of Serge Kovaleski, a disabled reporter, I wondered why that specific incident “sank its hooks in…
DOJ warns children’s theater over food allergy discrimination
The Department of Justice has determined that a children’s theater company in Massachusetts violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by excluding a child with a peanut allergy from its program. The 10-year-old boy in the case has life-threatening allergies to…