Zines as Self-Expression and Self-Advocacy

In this session we will have a brief introduction to the creative small publishing format known as a zine (pronounced zeen). We’ll discuss how zines can be a useful medium for presenting important information that may otherwise be difficult to discuss verbally. We’ll also look at a format for creating zines that does not require any special equipment to produce. The session will culminate in an activity during which participants may create their own mini-zines.

Andrew Coltrin is a writer, comics artist, and disabilities advocate when he’s not at his day job as a paraeducator for a large urban school district. For decades Andrew thought he was just weird, anxious and unexplainably broken until the DSM finally had an update that caught up with him. He was diagnosed as autistic in his late thirties. Since then he’s written several small publications designed to make the terminology and experiences of neurodivergent people accessible to everyone. His most popular publication is a glossary zine called A is for Autistic. Andrew has also led staff trainings about neurodiversity and has spoken on panels at the Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival (2021) and the Tucson Zine Fest (2023).