Our Stories
Rooted in Rights tells authentic, accessible stories to challenge stigma and redefine narratives around disability, mental health and chronic illness.
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The “Imperative of Efficiency” and The Importance of Interdependence
“The experience of illness is one of dependency, and the social mores of our day regard dependency as weakness.” — New York Times review of Megan O’Rourke’s The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness The Starbucks iced green tea and …Ask to Vax!
COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth with Disabilities #AskToVax
DREDF, YO! Disabled & Proud, and Rooted in Rights have joined together to help disabled California Youth learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five and up.
Children and youth with underlying
…
Getting to The Roots: Why Does Subminimum Wage Persist?
In 2018, the National Council on Disabilities reported that people with disabilities in the U.S. have decreased chances of finding work. In addition, the report found that disabled workers often work for subminimum wage, low wages, and under substandard employment …
It Doesn’t Get Better: Online Activism and TMAU Awareness
A parent with the odor-related medical condition trimethylaminuria (TMAU) recently drew attention to an episode of the NetFlix series Word Party titled “The Search for the Stink Monster.” It reportedly teaches children “You’re never stinky as long as you have …
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 …
The Many Challenges of Working Disabled Women in Pakistan
In Pakistan, disability has been overlooked and ignored in all aspects of life, including administrative, financial, and legal spheres. As a result, people with disabilities are the most disadvantaged since we are unseen, unheard, and miscounted in the country. …
You Make Me Sick: The Dehumanizing Trauma of Disability Benefits Processes
CONTENT NOTE: in-depth discussion of trauma, including medical ableism, as well as brief mentions of childhood neglect and abuse, antisemitism, physical violence, and war/conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . One Sunday in…
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…