Storytellers

Our Storytellers Series aims to increase authentic representation of people with disabilities, cultivate emerging creators and activists, and promote accessible social video as a form of activism. Learn more about our Storytellers.

Black background. Two gold, winged Emmy statues stand facing each other.

Shaping Awards Season, One Disabled Story at a Time

It’s awards season again. Oh wait, nevermind… Just as the climate crisis makes spring feel like winter and summer feel like “The End Times,” the writers’ strike, the actors’ strike, and years of a global pandemic have shifted the …

The famous Hollywood sign in big, white block letters set on a mountainous, grassy terrain during either a sunrise or sunset.

For Us, By Us: Chronicling Disability Representation in Media

“I’ve got a great story for you! It’s about my life as a disabled person. It’s never been made, and I think it would be something great that you could make to show the world what it’s like to be …

Close up of a ripe, juicy mango that is peeled and sliced to the seed but still attached.

Slippery Mango, Tart Tangerine: Compassion for Gastrointestinal Disabilities

CONTENT NOTE: brief mention of unintentional weight loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You are at a holiday party and the crowd is tossing back eggnog…

Rooted in Rights 2023 and Beyond

Hello Rooted in Rights followers, contributors, and supporters! This is Allexa, the Director of Rooted in Rights (RiR), reaching out to you all to let you know of some changes to expect from RiR and some exciting things happening now!…

Artwork. A gold plaque has the following written on it in black text: "This institution has failed to provide disabled individuals with an accessible evacuation plan. In the case of an emergency, this is where my people will die. Please remember us. Please remember me."

In the Stairwell, We Will Die

During my sophomore year of college, I wrote my will. That year was filled with trauma. I’d noticed a constant ache in my lower back that soon trickled down my legs and into my feet. They started to look like …

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 White person with brown wavy hair looks up towards the sky in a forest. There is a Rooted in Rights icon, a Closed Captioning icon, and an Audio Description icon on the left of the image.

Access Nature

The physical, mental, and emotional benefits of access to nature are widely known, yet communities that need these benefits the most are often excluded from outdoor spaces. What does accessibility in the outdoors actually mean, and how can it be improved for all people with disabilities?

Accessibility for Social Storytelling

Accessibility as a Tool for Social Storytelling originally presented at Netroots.

A group of people stand on a balcony in Kenya. The Rooted in Rights and Mental Voices Africa Logos in the bottom corner of the image.

Mental Voices Africa and Rooted in Rights

Rooted in Rights has partnered with Mental Voices Africa to promote international advocacy for those of us with mental health disabilities. In October 2019, Noela Luka, Chairperson for Mental Voices Africa, and Allexa Laycock, Editor for Rooted in Rights, led…