Breaking Barriers to Belonging: A Disability Justice Framework to Using Zines as Tools To Facilitate Community in Isolation and Zine-Making As A Therapeutic Practice.

Abstract: A zine (pronounced like “zeen”) is a small-run, often handmade and photocopied publication of art, stories, poems, photographs, lists, instructions, recipes, reviews, or any form of expression on any subject. Zines can be made by one person or many. They can be any size and can be displayed or found anywhere…but what if zines could be used as a tool to advance health equity?

This unique, interactive workshop invites attendees to experience the impact of zines first-hand. Led by a Deaf-Queer multiply neurodivergent Disability Justice advocate who turned their lived experiences recovering from dialysis and kidney transplant into a lifelong pursuit to better understand the intersections of art and health, this workshop explores how the medium of zines can be used to form community connections and zine-making as a therapeutic activity for introspection and creative expression.

The presenter will share resources, provide examples of zines from a variety of perspectives, and lead the audience in a collaborative zine-making activity culminating in an opportunity to exchange zines and discuss their experiences. Prompts from the zine template will encourage attendees to reflect on their own experiences with chronic conditions and/or disabilities and creatively express their views on social justice work within the healthcare system. By providing interdisciplinary group members with the opportunity to exchange zines with one another, participants will witness and experience how this medium can be creatively used as a self-advocacy tool to share ideas and serve as a catalyst for social change.