Zine Library Highlight

Disability Pride + Representation + Access

A hand holds open a black and white book with text and a drawing of a red panda. In the background a wooden shelf holds a several publications of varying sizes and each with a unique cover.

Disability Pride + Representation + Access

July is recognized as Disability Pride Month to acknowledge the enduring social and structural barriers, inequalities, discrimination, and challenges faced by people with disabilities throughout history and today. It is also a time to celebrate and honour the achievements, innovations, experiences, identities, and the talents and contributions of individuals within the disability community, as well as the progress made towards accessibility, inclusion, and representation.

Disability Pride Month highlights the diverse and intersecting experiences within the disability community, encompassing individuals who identify as Disabled, d/Deaf, those with sensory disabilities, invisible disabilities, chronic illnesses, neurodiverse individuals, people with physical disabilities, living with mental illness, and who identify as sick or as spoonies.

Zines are a unique medium to share experiences from first-person perspectives. Throughout this month zines from the Teeny Tiny Zine Library created by artists and authors with disabilities, accessibility researchers, educators, and advocates will be on view in the Owens lobby. This collection explores the intersectional identities and experiences of people with disabilities, the careers and livelihoods of working artists, and shares insights and advice on navigating an inaccessible world. It also offers perspectives on how we can collectively work towards creating a more accessible and inclusive society.

Disability Pride Month embodies both pride in one’s identity and ongoing advocacy for disability rights and inclusion. It is an important opportunity to raise awareness, foster understanding, and advocate for a world that is more accessible and equitable for all. We are delighted to offer our zine collection as a part of this month’s celebration and reflection.

—Shivanya Ra (BFA ’25), Community Engagement and Access Assistant

The cover of this zine is white with “bed zine” and “issue one” in black text at the top and bottom of the zine. The illustration in the middle is a colourful depiction of a person with pink skin and orange hair lying in a bed, eyes open, feet poking out from under the covers. A yellow dog is on the floor at the foot of the bed, a curtain blows across a window behind the bed, and three colourful flowers stretch across the image.

edited by Tash King
2021

Bed Zine is a collaborative zine of writing and art by disabled artists exploring their subjective and, at times, complicated relationships with their beds. Each artist portrays the nuances of living with various disabilities—chronic illness, mental illness, health challenges, physical pain, and recovery periods—illustrating how beds shape their daily lives, artistic practices, and sense of self and rest.

Over an all blue image of a bed side table with a lamp, phone, books, and central glass of water is the text “the Water Lover” in yellow. Below is the authors name ‘Patrick Allaby’.

Patrick Allaby
n.d.

“The Water Lover” by Patrick Allaby vividly portrays the artist’s personal journey with type 1 diabetes through the character James, who navigates the emotional, practical, systematic challenges of receiving and adapting to this diagnosis. Throughout the comic, James’s admiration for Prince remains a constant presence, illustrating how personal passions can provide solace and continuity in the face of life-altering events.

The cover of this zine is white with ‘Depression Cooking: easy recipes for when you’re depressed as fuck’ in black text. The illustration to the right is a bowl of macaroni with a fort resting on the edge, and a wine style glass next to it..

Sonali Menezes
2022

A love letter to the author’s “depressed kin”, Depression Cooking is part recipe book, part manifesto for surviving under the crushing weight of capitalism as a Mad person. Depression Cooking is a document of collective knowledge from the author, their friends and family, and from social media comments and messages via strangers on the internet. It was designed to be shared and distributed.

On the white cover of a publication, blue text reads ‘Make Events Accessible: A disability primer for organizers Compiled by Olivia Dresinger’

Olivia Dreisinger
2019

Make Events Accessible: A Disability Primer for Organizers is a guide to integrating practical accessibility measures into event planning, ensuring equity, inclusivity, and accessibility for the disability community. The zine features stories from individuals with disabilities sharing their experiences and highlighting the impact of accessibility and broader access issues related to disability and intersecting identities. It also includes a disability glossary of terminology, an accessibility checklist and an in-depth exploration of why access matters and considers intersectionality.

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Above the text “unconventional” has been added above “The autistic survival toolkit in neurotypical world”. Surrounded by concentric circular lines, the text continues “by Lex not about assimilating but staying true to yourself”.

Lex Kartanė
n.d.

The Unconventional Autistic Survival Toolkit in a Neurotypical World is a collection of tips, resources, and affirmations compiled by Lex, an Autistic artist, zine maker, and international school worker based in Berlin. Drawing from Lex’s personal journey growing up Autistic and navigating a neurotypical world as a working adult and artist, often pressured to conform and suppress their needs, this toolkit offers insights on embracing one’s neurodivergent/Autistic identity without assimilation. It encourages individuals to stay true to themselves, celebrate their unique perspectives, and navigate the world authentically.

A photocopied image of a bottle and pills has the title “Pathologies this!” is written in hand lettering. Below ‘A mental health zine’ is typed.

edited by Sarah Tea-Rex
2008

Pathologize This! A Mental Health Zine is a compilation of written works exploring individuals’ experiences with mental illness and the resistance to stigma surrounding mental health.

Content warning: This zine features a diverse collection of personal stories that include content about trauma, substance use, and assault.

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On the white cover of a publication, black text reads ‘Dis This!’ Over a great star more text reads ‘Disability is a social justice issue’

edited by burrowklown
2012

Dis This! Disability is a Social Justice Issue is a collaborative journal created by a collective of disabled artists, writers, poets, and activists. It explores diverse perspectives and experiences related to disability, while also examining the critical aspects of disability and accessibility as integral components of social justice.

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On the cover of this zine, a cane and a hot water bottle overlap like an X. The text ‘Disabled Militants’ explodes from the hot-water bottle. Below black text reads ‘Zine by steel transplants’.

Steel Transplants
2023

Disabled Militants by Steel Transplants is a heartfelt letter to their younger disabled self, who once struggled to care for their body, mind, and self. It serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of self-care, self-love, self-acceptance, and appreciation of their limitations as a disabled person—a fundamental right for everyone.

A hot pink cover page of a publication reads “An Introduction to Accessibility on the Web” within a styled browser graphic. At the top left corner is the text “The Public” and their logo, a heart within a P.

The Public
n.d.

An Introduction to Accessibility on the Web is an informational zine discussing the challenges of web accessibility and strategies for transforming websites into assets that are accessible to people with disabilities. The zine covers topics such as the history of disability, accessibility on the web, essential components of accessible design, and implementation strategies.

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