GoBecky.net Geek. Gimp. Goddess.

Goodnight, Blog.

It's been seven years since I first rolled my own blog with some hacky PHP; since then, this blog has gone through countless changes in look, name, location, platform, focus, and frequency, with the last two becoming increasingly scattered. So I've decided to finally put the old girl out of her misery and close the door on this blog for good. In the coming weeks I'll devise a proper way of keeping the posts archived.

So where can you find me now?

• For short-form ethnoautobiography, follow me on Twitter: @gobecky
• For proper essays and other long pieces, check out my occasionally-updated blog on Open Salon
• For everything inbetween, keep an eye on my brand-new Tumblr

Thanks for all the support you've offered over the years; this blog has brought me inspiration, courage, and a few very close friends. I look forward to continuing the conversation!

“Angel Hands” Lift System

The St. Pete Times has a great article this morning about a prototype lift system called "Angel Hands" created by a local inventor in partnership with Custom Mobility (who have been providing my wheelchair for 25 yeas now).

I'm not sure how this system would work for me - it's hard to make out the physics in the video - but it is so nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles with the traditional sling systems. They've come a long way from the Hoyer I used after my back surgery in 1989; you no longer have to sit on the sling all day long, and track systems make lifts more discrete and homes less institutional. I've been using a lift for about two years now, and while it's awesome (if slow) in the bathroom, for bed transfers I still get picked up the old-fashioned way 99% of the time. The Times video shows the manipulation required to get the sling out from under you when you're getting into bed, and that's bad enough, but the opposite -- getting the sling under you to get out of bed -- is next-to-impossible, especially if, like me, you have a Tempurpedic mattress. It's not entirely out of the question, but it's not easy on the lifter or the liftee, and there's plenty of room for injury.

I'm lucky that I'm small enough and my parents are still young enough that I can be lifted manually most of the time. But that won't always be the case, and it's awesome to know that there are smart and caring people aware of the pitfalls who are helping develop new and better medical tech.

St. Petersburg Times: Invention aims to lift bodies that can't lift themselves

an update

what's been going on, we haven't heard from you, what are you doing, where are you going?

i haven't answered these questions because
they seem to call for big answers
answers that fit together
answers that make sense
and i don't have many of those.

but i do: have friends
who love me
who don't care if the answers fit together
or make sense.

so if you want an update, and you're ok with it being what it is
(which is: fragmented, emotional, ambiguous, incomplete)
(and i hope you are, because i am those things too)
keep reading.
[Read more →]

White House response to my questions on disability

Two weeks ago, President Obama hosted an online town hall dubbed Open for Questions, where questions were asked and voted on by the public. I posted a question via YouTube about the economics of disability.

In brief, I asked about how the administration is planning on addressing the needs of people with disabilities who are able and willing to work, but who do not for fear of losing the dependent-care health insurance and/or government assistance they currently receive. I also asked about the President's commitment to passing the Community Choice Act, as reliable, consumer-directed community living and transportation are necessary foundations for the employment of people with disabilities.

I am honored to report that Kareem Dale, the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, has responded to my question on the White House blog! Watch his response, then read on for my thoughts.

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The Economics of Disability: My Question for President Obama

As many of you know. President Obama will be answering questions about the economy submitted at WhiteHouse.gov during a town hall event Thursday.

Here is the video I recorded (transcript after the jump). Please take a moment and go to the website to vote for it (search for "Community Choice Act").

[Read more →]