Our Stories
Rooted in Rights tells authentic, accessible stories to challenge stigma and redefine narratives around disability, mental health and chronic illness.
Social Justice Activists Can’t Always Fight for Everything, and That’s Okay
Whenever I have strength to walk around my neighborhood, I often find myself reflecting on how I got to where I’m at now. In comparison to a few years ago, my life is drastically better than I expected it to …
On Valentine’s Day, Let’s Recognize Why #AccessIsLove
Roses, chocolates, galentines…there is a lot of emphasis on love for people in our personal lives this time of year. I could cry into my glass of rosé over the lack of romance in my life but instead, …
The Power of Storytelling in Times Like These
As the world around me grows ever more entrenched in the horrors of climate change, political repression, and capitalist growth, my fear grows alongside it. Every day I hear more about the terrors that oppressed communities are facing. With each …
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 …
#ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow is Necessary Because Realistic Disability Representation is Scarce
Recently, I wrote about the most recent instance of “cripping up,” or disabled mimicry, in the film The Upside. Many people were angered by my post and couldn’t imagine why I would be so bold as to critique Bryan Cranston…
How My Parents Helped Me Find My Disabled Identity
I have always loved the way drums sound. During parades, my focus was always on the marchers with the snares; while at concerts my neck was perpetually craned as I struggled to see over the taller members of the crowd …
VIDEO: Don’t Block the Box.
When drivers block the box, it makes the streets more dangerous for everyone.
Slowing Down and Embracing Surgical Recovery is Still Living
I am working through one of those once a half-decade-or-so massive health shifts that folks with any chronic condition may find familiar: a rapid shift in function, surgery to implant more metal bits in me that set off alarms whenever…