Rob Stone: Artist & Advocate
Photo: Rah Foard
Rob Stone is a 2018 Walt Whitman High School graduate. After leaving high school, Rob wanted to be a health care and disability rights advocate, so he began advocating with Little Lobbyists in 2019. Rob has been part of Capitol Hill press conferences and met with U.S. Senate and House congresspersons and staff. He also works with the Self-Directed Advocacy Network and other groups on state issues, and has testified before the Maryland General Assembly. He is a 2020 graduate of The Arc’s Partners in Policymaking program. He also takes classes at Montgomery College. Rob enjoys writing poetry, composing music, and making art. You can learn more about his work here. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
Below is a gallery of Rob’s artwork. You can purchase framed prints of his art, as well as prints on home decor items, notebooks, phone cases & much more at his official art website. Or click on an image!
"Sunflower": streaks of orange & yellow in varied tones form the petals of the flower. The center is dark peach dots.
"Pink & Black": digital composition drawn with Rob's eyes. Navy blue lines slash through a rectangle, with smaller lines in pink, brown and black. Pink, purple and blue blobs populate throughout.
"Tree of Life": dark brown lines form a tree trunk with dark green lines of paint forming the leaf canopy.
"Little Green Man": Rob's thumbprints form an alien in green and chartreuse.
"Metro Area": dark slashes of paint cross-hatch in dark blues, dark greens, yellows and oranges.
"Summer Afternoon": drawn with Rob's eyes and digital technology--ovoid and circle shapes in greens, browns and dark red.
"Bird of Paradise": Rob's thumb prints in shades of turquoise and green form a bird with purple legs and wings and a blue tail.
"Ragnarock": image created using Rob's eyes and digital technology. Rainbow lines move from right corner to left bottom corner, and blobs of black and brown underneath.
"Space-time": vivid orange, purple and pink paint flows in river-like patterns on a dark blue background.
"Mountains": arcs of metallic turquoise, chartreuse, purple and silver paint on a brown background.
"Beast": gashes of green and yellow paint surround huge gashes of red in the center.
"Donuts": red/yellow and blue/yellow circles made with the edge of a curved hand.
"Sea Creatures": streaks of green, blue, red, purple paint form sea dragons rising from the ocean.
Rob & family meet Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Rob meets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Rob & family meet Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut
Rob meets Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Rob meets Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania
Rob meets Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
Rob meets disability activist Judy Heumann
Rob meets Governor Wes Moore of Maryland
Rob poses with members of Little Lobbyists at a Care Coalition event
Rob poses with members of Little Lobbyists at after a Care Can't Wait rally
Rob with family & friends at the White House
Rob meets Secretary of Health & Human Services Xavier Becerra
Rob receiving an award for his art & advocacy from The Coordinating Center
Rob’s First Poetry Reading
Rob composes poetry using several methods. His Tobii-Dynavox EyeMobile communicator is a tablet with special software that tracks his eye movements, so he can select words and phrases. Rob also uses a color-coded spinner (that is switch-activated) to select words from a Paint Chip Poetry game, or he uses a word game called Haikubes.
Leading a Self-Directed Life
Rob is one of the stars of this video by the Self-Directed Advocacy Network, “Self-Direction and the Good Life.” Rob uses self-directed services through a Maryland Medicaid waiver to manage his life as an adult with disabilities. Self-direction gives him control over his life, including hiring his own aides and choosing his own activities. Learn more about self-direction by watching the video.