This is the front cover of DiG issue #1. It is a collage of minerals, human body parts, and the DiG logo. The DiG logo is in a dialogue bubble in blue hand-drawn block letters that spell DiG. The dot over the i is a blue star. The collage is color-shifted towards high contrast yellow and blue. The front cover says "Disability in Geoscience (DiG). First edition. July 2025."
Table of Contents. Page 2 - Editor's Note Page 4 - Rock Portrait by Jules Porte Page 6 - Accommodation Request by Jules Porte Page 8 - Reconnection by MAZ Page 10 - Untitled by JBF Page 12 - Closing Page 15 - Our Staff
Page 2. Editor's Note.
I found it difficult to talk about my disability in college. I was in an Earth Sciences department that offered social events in the form of hikes, nature walks, and field sampling demos — all of which I couldn't do because I am disabled.
This speaks to an all-to-common feeling for us disabled folk: how do I ask others to make space for me? how can I help them understand and act?
The aim of Disability in Geoscience (DiG) is to be a space for disabled geoscientists, environmentalists, physicists, astronomers, people who just admire rocks, and our allies.
Page 3. Editor's Note Continued.
Our experience as disabled geoscientists and enthusiasts is individual in its diversity, and this zine aims to dignify that individuality through art, essays, and conversation.
The first edition offers a glimpse into the disabled experience in geoscience through visual art, a comic, and a poem.
Through these, we hope that you feel our presence, with all of its pain, hope, and variety.
Page 4. Rock Portrait.
A simple line drawing, with a gouache paint wash, of a small boulder with circular marks, cracks, and lichen and moss growing on it, in the foreground. The colors are very light (and absent in the grayscale version of this zine.) The boulder has red, brown, blue, and green parts. There is a forearm-length brown branch on the ground at the base of the boulder. The boulder itself would be about 3 or 4 feet in diameter, more wide than tall. The background contains the trunks of seven mature trees, grouped in two or three, with a light green wash behind them. The ground is a red brown.
Page 5. Rock Portrait by Jules Porte Artist's statement: Its own individual as much as a product of the forces within and without.
Page 6. Accommodation Request
A word cloud with two differing sets of words, distinguished by color (or darkness/lightness in the gray scale version), and font. The words are all different sizes to fit the rectangular shape of the word cloud.
The words in a darker (brown in the color version), thicker font are: pushback. request personal details. evaluate if this class is right for you. unwarranted advice. paperwork. skepticism. that won't work. no. justify the need. wouldn't be fair to others. that's not ideal. you're request is not approved. outside experts required. a review was made. repeat myself. erased entirely from the event. no.
The words in a lighter (blue in the color version), thinner font are: squash rumors. shift the burden of advocacy. absolutely! no questions asked. here is a list of actions we are taking to accommodate you. trust. does this help? liaison to field questions. assign a student to help. don't want a struggle to hold you back. far from perfect. learning at every step. workshop with me. happy to. yes.
Page 7. Accommodation Request by Jules Porte.
Artist's statement: A collaboration with other disabled folks in academia. We reflect our experiences when requesting our needs be met to participate in research and learning.
Page 8. Reconnection
A simple but colorful drawing of a meandering river. An oxbow lake is formed with words arching it a semicircle off to the lower right side. The words are a poem. It reads:
"I exist as an oxbow of Styx and science— a stagnant dissident against death and societal disability.
I’ll wait for the riparian plants to wither, weaken the bank, and let the river water rush fresh and free into me.
breech the levy with enough goodwill and it will not stop up again."
Page 9. Reconnection by MAZ.
Artist's statement: I have conflicted feelings about river restoration, including floodplain and oxbow reconnection.
As a geologist, I’m well-aware of all the benefits that come with such projects: improved habitat, increased biodiversity, better water quality.
As an environmentalist, I believe that humanity has a collective, ethical responsibility to reverse the ecological damage it has done, but, as a Disabled person, I’m starting to see the similarities between the medical model of disability and environmental restoration.
Page 10. Untitled.
A two panel comic. The panels are overlain in scratchy lines that separate the colored blocks that depict the scene. The first panel is in a stony wilderness. A solid-white figure stands and points into a black hole in a blue stone wall, covered in green foliage. The panel is captioned, "AFTER WE DESCEND," The piece transitions down through the rocky soil to a cavern. A solid-white figure is on their stomach, clutching the rocks in front of them. They are pressed between a sparking, rough cavern ceiling and a smooth, dusty cavern floor. The white figure emits a light on their forehead, which illuminates the floor before them. The panel is captioned "WE CRAWL."
Page 11. Untitled by JBF.
Artist's statement: I am a caver. My family and I are all cavers, despite our physical disability.
In South Africa, there is a cave called the Rising Star Cave that is home to what is suspected to be a death ritual site of a species of hominin called Homo naledi.
The site is located in the cave after a stretch called the Superman Crawl. The Superman Crawl is less than 10 inches high.
Page 12. Closing.
DiG is a community for disabled geoscientists.
We focus on this intersection because in this age, the bad of both spaces can outweigh the good, and we experience some of the worst of that bad.
Geoscience funding and truths are being threatened. In the United States, NOAA, NASA, and NSF programs are being gutted in slashes worth billions of dollars.
Page 13. Closing continued.
Disabled and disadvantaged scientists — and our fight to make the geosciences accessible — will be first to feel these cuts.
Climate denialism is rampant in policymaking, and disabled people are some of the most vulnerable to the threats of climate change.
Disability rights are being curtailed. In the UK, changes in disability benefit qualifications will leave millions of disabled people and their caregivers without support.
Accessibility is waved off as an externality in public budgets.
Page 14. Closing continued.
What can we do? We believe in the power of organizing.
Join DiG's online community space. Here, we connect, lament, and sponsor activity for disability activism across the geosciences.
Consider referencing the resources on our website for more accessibility readings and suggestions, and of course, spread the word of this zine! Leave this booklet in a coffee shop or, library or send our PDF to your group chats.
You're not alone.
Join DiG.
Page 15. Our staff.
Jade/Ben (he/they/she)
Ben is an air pollution researcher in Cincinnati. You can catch them on instagram @ socraseas.
Gordon (He/Him)
Gordon is a Geoscience communicator, disability researcher and Gemmologist. You can catch them on Instagram @ gordonbardell or coming soon @ the_wholistic_geologist.
Mandy (she/they)
Mandy is a geoscience poet in Oregon. You can follow her @ mycorrhizalmaz on Bluesky and Substack.
The Desert (they/them)
The Desert are pursuing a geoscience education degree on First Nations lands along the Cascadia subduction zone. They would prefer to stay anonymous, but you can see them managing the DiG zine Discord server.
Page 16. Follow DiG.
Tumblr @ digzinehq
Here, you can access links to all our socials including our Discord server, find our resource compilations, and find updates about the zine.
Twitter/X @ DiGZine
Instagram @ digzinestaff
Bluesky @ digzine.bsky.social
Llinktr.ee https://linktr.ee/digzine
Special Thanks to the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD), a professional organization advocating for people with disabilities in the geosciences!