Our Stories
Rooted in Rights tells authentic, accessible stories to challenge stigma and redefine narratives around disability, mental health and chronic illness.
- Activism and Advocacy
- Autism and Neurodiversity
- Community Living
- Criminal Justice
- Disability History and Culture
- Disability Vote
- Education
- Emergency Preparedness
- Employment
- Family
- Health
- LGBTQIA+
- Media
- Mental Health
- Policy
- Race and Disability
- Relationships and Sex
- Sexual Harassment and Abuse
- Storytellers
- Technology
- Transportation
The Harms of Perpetuating “Illness Fakers”
I had not long been a part of the online chronic illness community when I discovered the Illness Fakers page on Reddit. I only saw it because someone I followed was being harassed, and their content being taken apart on…
Without Meaningful Allyship, Hearing People are Doomed to a Never-Ending Cycle of Poor Deaf Awareness
Deaf people exist, and if you’re a hearing person and are aware of that fact, then you win – though I don’t have any stickers left, and there’s no way for me to know that you are aware of my…
Accessible Housing is Healthcare. It Could Have Prevented My Hospital Readmission.
When my friend’s car pulled up to the front door of the hospital, I wanted to feel giddy with relief that I was finally heading home. Instead, my head spun with fatigue and vertigo. My body felt weak and my…
Self-Diagnosing: A Response to Inaccessible Healthcare
Disclaimer: this post is not intended as medical advice. Before I got a medical diagnosis for anxiety and depression, I self-diagnosed. There were many things about my mental health that I couldn’t explain. For instance, why would I, as a…
The Cultural Implications of Being Disabled in India
It’s been eight years since I began experiencing debilitating flare ups of a chronic condition, and despite having a parent who is a doctor, it never crossed my mind that what I was struggling with could be considered a disability. …
“We Are Human”: The Harms of Placing Disabled People Under Conservatorship
Content note: institutionalization, mentions of suicidality, self-harm, sexual abuse, forced labor, physical assault On June 23, 2021, Britney Spears petitioned the courts to release her from her father’s guardianship (also called conservatorship), alleging abuse and medical coercion perpetrated by her…
Disability is More Than Just Inspiration or Trauma. When Will Media Cover it Authentically?
When I first started getting approached to write about disability in the media, I was beyond excited. After blogging for years in my little bubble, it felt like I was finally breaking into a space where I could make some…
I Shouldn’t Have to Share My Mental Health Trauma to Get Scholarships for Graduate School
As a disabled person who is set to begin graduate school this fall, I feel a sense of urgency to earn as much scholarship money as possible to keep educational debt in check. With this goal in mind, I have…