Rachel DL

09/18/2025

Super excited to finally share this piece that I've been working on for over 5 months with the Disability Debrief. This one is about my time in rehab last summer - talking about the perils of receiving healthcare when the system’s ultimate goal is profit, shame, and toxic positivity. Would appreciate any shares!

“Nursing staff touched vulnerable parts of my body, and sometimes talked about them in painful ways. I endured over half a dozen straight catheterizations. Once I was left stranded on the commode for nearly an hour as I waited for help transferring back to bed.

In these moments, dependent and exposed, laden with shame, the only thing I wanted was independence. I imagined independence as building a wall around myself, a protective forcefield. If needing help meant being neglected, invaded, and hurt, then I never wanted to need help again."

Why I left the rehab hospital more disabled than when I arrived

07/08/2024

Forgot to post this sooner, but I’ve donated my art to an auction for humanitarian aid to Gaza. I’ve got nine bids already on my deep sea vents watercolor painting. Today’s your last day to bid (and check out other artist’s work too!) Auction ends in 8 hours.
https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/116111/auctions/161909?r=1&t=all&fbclid=IwY2xjawD4zjxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWK1AML_IuZn1nTDEQWxqEdkLULq9powjlngWVuy0OvmcKzmpaK5-qQs_w_aem_yZZt1QZe2EPbFnPaCULWrQ

Silent auction 'Art Auction for Emergency Relief for Gaza' hosted online at 32auctions.

07/05/2024

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted! The past few months, chronic illness symptoms really took a toll on me, so there wasn't much to share since I wasn't getting much done. I do, however, now have an illustration project I worked on with the Reproductive Health Access Project up on their website, where I illustrated a resource on different pelvic exam positions when traditional exam positions might be difficult. You can check it out at the link below!

https://www.reproductiveaccess.org/resource/the-pelvic-exam-multiple-positions-for-patient-centered-care/

04/03/2024

Hello! I have a new illustrated article out this week in Tone Madison about bus stop inaccessibility. Check it out!

https://tonemadison.com/articles/drawing-the-inaccessible-bus-stops-of-metro-transit-part-ii/?fbclid=IwAR0SsKIn6Kqj_CoDvoopqA_fgZwuNh5D9SDtmx3JkQtAVF4EBhdiw5UurnQ_aem_Aa07qlio7-te7u49BvfGYUJqDU_jeeEJSMQH6Avv5-5AmDOePE2uw7qV6DP9IfEMSlg

Documenting issues old and new with Madison’s public transit system.

02/16/2024

I have a new piece out in The Progressive Magazine this week about California's 'CARE court' and why it's dangerous and terrible for people experiencing homelessness and perceived mental illness. My perspective is informed by my personal experiences with homelessness and my work as an advocate within the homeless services sector.

The program makes it easier to involuntarily commit unsheltered people to institutions, but what they actually need is housing, Rachel Litchman writes.

01/24/2024

Good morning! I am excited to share I have a new comic out in Tone today. I’ve been struggling for well over two years to find affordable and accessible housing but have encountered so many barriers, primarily because so-called “affordable” housing is not actually affordable! In this comic I break down why that is and talk about the problems with section 42 housing, also known as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program, a program that preaches to be “affordable” and for “low income” people but usually isn’t.

Many thanks to Tone Madison for honoring my request to publish with a full alt-text transcript and giving me full creative license!

The hoops and hurdles to accessing affordable housing

12/30/2023

Hello! I redid my entire website from scratch! I am so proud of it! I hope it's more accessible than my old one. I redid it on an updated platform that has a lot more features, and I think it looks a lot better, but there's still some things I need to figure out.
New features: a subscribe for updates section for my blog & a contact form. Also black/white high color contrast and transcriptions of some of my comics for blind/low vision readers. Hoping to have transcriptions for all full comics on my website soon.
https://www.racheldl.com/

11/29/2023

Hey all, wanted to share a new comic I have out today in Annals of Internal Medicine about trauma-informed care in clinical settings for survivors of sexual violence. Here is the link for the full five pages if you're interested! https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/G22-0076

Alt text/captions are embedded within the images. If interested, I also extended this comic into a zine format with further tips/recommendations and resources for trauma-informed care in clinical settings. You can get a copy of that by DMing me.

11/23/2023

My heart hurts for Palestine. Ceasefire now.

11/17/2023

Share widely! (Document not created by me).

By completing this form you are adding your name to the following public letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qZYSQjSzgSnNuVd0dF_LU8zSRdzW20n1jDXIN16Mp7o/edit?usp=sharing This letter will be signed by WI Artists calling for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and Palestine to s...

10/11/2023

Good morning, all. I have a new comic out on The Rumpus about my experiences with food insecurity as a freshman. I drew it 3 years ago before I had lots of practice under my belt from my graphic novel. I used paper I don’t normally use and was experimenting with a new color-blocking style of watercolor that I immediately regretted and that took forever. Visually it could be better, but I’m super happy with the story! 2 years after drawing it, I rediscovered it in a dark corner of my room and submitted it. Check it out:

https://therumpus.net/2023/09/21/student-hunger/

10/06/2023

Some delayed news! After working on this for a month and half, I am happy to finally have this piece out in Tone about bus stop inaccessibility in Madison! If you find other inaccessible stops, please email me ([email protected]) or DM me with a photo of the stop and location so we can keep this series going!
Please feel free to share!

A Madison network redesign compounds the poor conditions people with disabilities face on local bus routes.