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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.

A blurred photo of wheelchair racers in motion.

Grappling with Ableism in the Para-Sport Movement

Lengthy periods of contemplation don’t usually start with an accessible door opener. Let’s rewind. I’m a former national team-level athlete in wheelchair basketball and rugby. I was on the long list that the Canadian Paralympic Committee puts together as a…
A grayscale photo of the author, a white woman with brown hair just above her shoulder, warmly hugging her son, a young white boy with close cropped brown hair.

My Son and I Have the Same Disability, but That Doesn’t Mean We Need the Same Accommodations

I am a mother with invisible disabilities. I have ADHD, dyslexia, Visual Motor Processing Disorder, and an autoimmune disorder. For years, I struggled to find my place because I never quite fit in with the neurotypical world. I never believed…
A young white woman with short hair, standing against a wall. In front of her face, she is holding a picture from when she was 8 years old, sitting in a wheelchair, smiling.

Cerebral Palsy Isn’t Just a Childhood Disability. That’s Why Adults with Cerebral Palsy Need Access to Healthcare, Too.

Being a disabled kid is hard. I think that’s something everyone knows, including abled people. But even when you’re a disabled kid, you don’t get prepared for the world of being a disabled adult. Over the past year, I’ve found…
A zoomed-in photo of a person's hand on their wheelchair wheel. They are sitting in front of a window looking out at an airplane.

When Your Wheelchair is Your Legs: Holding Airlines Accountable For Broken Mobility Equipment

Travel these days gives me a bit more anxiety than it used to. It’s never easy, as I wrote about years ago, and a lot has changed. There’s my usual luggage, and my service dog, Pico. He is truly…
Against a background of a cloudy sky and brick building is the head of a statue of Harriet Tubman, taken from a lower angle so that the statue exudes strength and power.

Why Don’t More People Know Harriet Tubman Was Disabled?

America tends to minimize or alter the contributions of Black people in its history. George Washington Carver didn’t invent peanut butter; he was a prominent scientist that changed the way farmers work with crops. Martin Luther King Jr. is …
Lemon bars and sieve with powdered sugar on wooden table

The Pandemic Helped Me Disclose My Multiple Sclerosis

A simple question started it all. Last summer, a woman at my church named Jan was coordinating a socially-distanced approach for our annual school supply giveaway, and she asked if I’d be willing to staff a tent as part of…
Blurred photo of people sitting in a cafe.

The Pandemic Created a Systemic Shift for Disability Rights and Accessible Space, Even If It Was Accidental

For the past 18 months or so during the pandemic, time stood somewhat still. Normal routines shifted or changed while still others fell off entirely. One that I missed deeply was my daily Starbucks run. Yes, they quickly adapted and…
A wide rounded screen of blurred faces, all on webcam, under a row of spotlights.

Virtual Events During Lockdown are Proof that Greater Accessibility is Possible

Before booking a ticket to any event, I have to figure out whether my disability will be accommodated. Although there are one billion disabled people globally, access is always stuck at the back of the priority queue for organisers …
A vertical painting reminiscent of the transgender pride flag

Finding Disabled Transgender Pride

Being transgender and disabled are interlinked for me. In both of these identities that I hold, my body does not function or present the way I want it to, or in a way that society would perceive as “normal.” Both…