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.
Teaching “Yes Means Yes” Can Make Sex Education More Inclusive for the Disability Community
When I was 11, we learnt how to put a condom on a banana. Only one person per group had to demonstrate, and I shrank into the background while everyone else giggled. When I was 13, we learnt about reproduction…
What Transportation Access Really Means for Disabled People
The strange man at the gas station in Utah approached shyly. I was alone, several hundred miles from home. It was one of those anonymous pit stops between where you’re from and anywhere else that sees a ceaseless tide of …
The Joy of Being Autistic in Spaces Built By and For Autistic People
When Haley Moss, an attorney, visual pop artist, and author from Florida, was 13, she went to the Autism Society of America Conference, a conference dedicated to presentations, discussions, and workshops about autism. It was the first time she’d …
Billie Eilish Isn’t “Just” a Musician with Tourette’s, But She Makes Me Feel Seen
There are many reasons why I’m obsessed with Billie Eilish. Though she’s six years my junior, Eilish has become a personal heroine of my in a short amount of time. Her bold and unapologetic sense of style, her dreamy and…
Here’s Why the Government Absolutely Should Not Monitor the Social Media of Disabled People
The New York Times recently published an article about a proposal that would allow government administrators to use evidence taken from social media to deny or revoke disability benefits from applicants. As someone who worked as a Social Security Disability…
Here’s What Dr. Phil Got Wrong in His Episode on Interabled Relationships
I’ve spent a good portion of the last week thinking about a recent episode of Dr. Phil that featured an interabled couple and more ableist tropes than should ever be allowed in 2019. I watched the episode. I read articles…
What the Media Got Wrong About Selma Blair
If you follow pop culture at all, you’ve probably seen recent coverage about Selma Blair, an actress diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who attended the Oscars with her cane. While Blair has said some important things, much of the media…
Video Games and Madness: A World of Harmful Tropes
Having just recovered from another one of many depressive episodes I’ve had throughout my life, I’ve had time to reflect on my relationship to madness and reality. Being of a philosophical bent, I ruminate on these things out of habit. …