Our Stories

Rooted in Rights tells authentic, accessible stories to challenge stigma and redefine narratives around disability, mental health and chronic illness.

Stressed brown-skinned teacher with long, straight, dark hair in a colorful classroom, sitting at the toy table.

Removing the Stigma of Alcoholism in the Teaching Profession

CONTENT NOTE: detailed discussion of substance abuse and trauma . . . . . . . . . . . I began drinking heavily during college when I took a semester off, moving from Boston back to Baltimore to…

Two older white women, characters Grace and Frankie, sitting outdoors in separate patio chairs while holding hands and gazing at each other.

This Isn’t A Cane, It’s A Weapon: Ageism, Ableism, and Grace and Frankie

One thing that always frustrated me was when elders would compare my disability to theirs. At first, I brushed off my frustration as reactions to their sometimes ableist and adultist comments. A common assumption I frequently confront is “You’re too …

A blue, orange and red graphic with solid black text and illustrations. The text in the blue portion reads: "ADA Americans with Disabilities Act." Below that, in the orange and red sections, are solid black illustrations that are meant to symbolize or represent various types of disabilities. Listed in order: signing hands, two arrows pointing to an ear with a device in it, a pair of black glasses, an eye with a line crossed through it, representation of braille text with the word underneath, the traditional wheelchair user symbol, an amputee using a cane, a service dog, a person with a white cane, and a person's head with the brain visible.

Busting Barriers: ADHD and ADA Accommodations at Work

When I speak to other ADHDers who were diagnosed as adults, they share a common refrain: “Why didn’t anybody tell me sooner?” No, it’s not supposed to be hard to sustain friendships or clean the house. In fact, there are…

A clear glass overflowing with dark-colored, fizzy soda being poured from above. Plain black background.

The Power of the Autistic Stim

The sensation feels like fountain soda under my skin. It starts in my shoulders and, by the time it has traveled to my elbows, I’m already moving. My hands become a blur. Loose at the wrists, they move back-and-forth, up-and-down …

Two younger, dark-haired people with long hair - one brown-skinned, the other fairer skinned - in a living room. The fairer skinned person, wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope around their neck, is standing beside the couch where the other person is seated. They're both smiling at the camera as the standing person passes a wooden tray with a white bowl of food and a glass of orange juice to the seated person.

A List of Demands: A Living Wage for Home Care Aids Supports Disabled People

I am angry—angry that Fair Pay for Home Care was not fully funded in New York’s budget in January 2022. And angry that the small pay increase that was approved won’t solve New York’s severe shortage of home care workers. …

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…

After five years, the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog, Emily Ladau, will be stepping down from her role. In this message, she shares why and what's next for the blog. Image: On a yellow table, there is a blue notebook stacked under a pink notebook, next to some blue and pink binder clips and an open notebook with a pink and a blue pen resting on it

Saying Goodbye: A Message from Emily Ladau, Former Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog

I’m not particularly good at saying goodbyes, but I know the time is right for this one. As of January 1, 2022, I am no longer the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog. I came to this…

A stack of envelopes with one on the top that says "past due" in bold red letters.

The Costs of Burdening People with Medical Bills for Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization

Years ago, when I was a third-year law student just a few credits away from graduating, I experienced a serious mental health crisis. My psychiatrist at the time involuntarily committed me to a private psychiatric facility in Oakland, California. Because…

Two side by side photos of Bad Papi and Pyx Elated. Bad Papi is a trans Cubane person with slicked back black hair & brown eyes. They’re wearing makeup in the colors of PTSD awareness. His eye makeup is a large dark purple outer line going from the top of his eyelids to the sides of his eyes, a light blue eyeshadow, & a dark blue line under his eyes. She has blue lipstick w/ purple lipstick liner. The PTSD ribbon symbol is on both of their cheeks, one in blue & one in purple. He’s wearing a purple patterned shirt & facing the camera with a serious facial expression. Her fingers are resting on the sides of her face. Pyx Elated is a white transmasculine non-binary person with auburn short coiffed hair & blue eyes. Their eye makeup is done in pink, white, & blue liner in the pattern of the trans flag. They have a dark brown goatee. They’re wearing a white button up shirt & a light pink feather boa around his neck. They’re facing the camera with a serious facial expression & holding up a white lace floral fan.

How Disabled Queer People Are Finding Community Through Digital Drag

Author note: At the time of writing, Pyx Elated (They/Them) was previously known as Peter Panic (He/Him). They’re comfortable with the article using the name Peter Panic and he/him pronouns as written, but the image description and link at the…