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Rooted in Rights Blog

We’re here to challenge the status quo, pushing readers and writers alike to think beyond the tired tropes of disability. The Rooted in Rights Blog publishes pieces that share perspectives on disability, amplify key issues and ideas, and make it known loud and clear that disability rights are human rights.

Hand holding a megaphone. The megaphone is white and red, and the red part fades off into multicolored paint splatters

I’m a Disability Activist Because I Have to Be, But Not Always Because I Want to Be

“Congratulations,” “this is amazing Shona,” “well done!” All of these are well meaning and probably deserved comments that I often receive in response to results from my activism work, but more recently they’ve felt less like positive encouragement and more…
Image of an ear surrounded by geometric multicolored triangles.

Existing Between Two Worlds as a Person with Hearing Loss

When I was growing up, I did not consider myself to be a member of the disability community. I was born with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss that was not diagnosed until I was in kindergarten and I am the only…
Photo of Robin holding Evren, a smiling baby.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: Mothering with ADHD

Becoming a mother has been one of the most earth-shattering endeavors of my life. Motherhood fills me and drains me, unleashes and stifles. All of a sudden, my daily structures, routines, and systems have been thrown into the tornado of…
A photo of Isabella Ruffatti's family on Christmas.

I Am Who I Am: Being an Autistic Latina Woman on Christmas

My autism means that I have always had an uneasy relationship with Christmas. When I was younger, the day involved straightening my unruly curls and getting dressed up for a large gathering at my great grandmother’s house, where my extended…
A shape of a person's head filled halfway with bright, colorful holiday items including a snowman, christmas tree, ornaments, and a santa hat, juxtaposed with greyed out items on the rest of the face. The background is a gray cloudy sky.

Taking Care of My Mental Health During This Pandemic Holiday Season

The holidays can bring about emotions ranging from happiness and excitement to stress, grief, and loneliness. Figuring out how to navigate the many different elements of the holidays can be complicated, but it’s even more so this year as the…
Shards of broken glass scattered on a gray floor.

Picking Up the Pieces of Broken Glass: A Lesson in Speaking Up For Myself

From the corner of my eye I saw our patio umbrella catch the wind and pirouette off the deck. No big deal. It was March 2020, and this had happened before. Later that day, however, my husband J.P. and I…
Decorative carved wooden walking canes.

How I Got Over My Fears and Started Using a Cane

The same nightmare kept replaying in my mind, in slow motion. At the height of morning rush hour, I am scurrying to my office. Head down, I’m making a mental checklist of the day’s priorities. The first intersection quickly approaches…
A red telephone receiver with a long red wire

Four Ways to Improve Crisis Intervention Services for the Disability Community

Content note: includes discussion of mental health crises and police brutality In 2012, my own fear of the police due to previous trauma impacted my ability to call the crisis response team for a friend who was having a mental…
The full English alphabet in three rows. Each letter is embroidered in a different color against a white background.

I’m Tech-Savvy, But I Choose to Use a Low-Tech Form of Assisted Communication. Here’s Why.

I have been using technology since I was two years old. I have cerebral palsy, and my preschool for disabled kids put us on computers as early as age two. In fact, for my third birthday, when my dad asked…