Blake Watson

Nice! I think I saw this the other day on Twitter or somewhere. +1 for a published novel with a character with SMA. 😊

OMG that was an fantastic episode with a legendary guest. I’ve yet to watch Crip Camp but I need to remedy that immediately.

I used to have this problem a lot. In the mid-2010s I switched to using a mini joystick. I tried to write more about it in this post but something seems to be preventing me from doing that. It’s cool tho… it’s handheld.

Yup same as Alyssa. Mismatched socks are cool anyway.

I believe it is but I don’t have a source off-hand. I get that at times too although yeah that seems like a long time. 😬

100% letting kids ask their questions is the way to go. If the parents make them feel bad about it then that’s just a negative feeling they are going to associate with people with disabilities.

I once had this conversation with a young boy he was fascinated by my wearing socks.

“You don’t wear shoes?”

“I can’t find any that fit.”

“So you just…[Read more]

I haven’t necessarily had trouble with ingrown toenails but I’ve been close. Also I just really hate cutting my toenails because I don’t really want anyone touching my feet ever. I’ve also wondered if you could have value toenails removed. Might be kind of weird but seriously they are not good for anything and I hate dealing with them.

Ever feel that way? That your body holds you back and calls the shots when your brain has a different narrative in mind?

Yes, all the freaking time. I had one experience in particular that I was very bummed about. In 2011 I finally got my first job after being unemployed for several years out of college. It was on a trial basis for Automattic, the…[Read more]

I’ve been reading over some of these posts and I have many more things I would like to say if this wasn’t a public webpage attached to my real name. 😅 But I will say these things:

• I have had crushes on PCAs in the past. I think I’m over that now. But yeah, when you have someone around you all the time and especially if you become friends this…

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Yup super difficult. That’s one reason I joined this forum. 😅

Yeah I’m the same way. I like to see some kind of satisfying end result for my time spent doing anything which is probably why I like making things. I feel that creators of any kind—tech, crafters, makers, writers, artists, etc—are my kindred spirits. 😄

> How long does that even take?

In my experience anywhere from an afternoon to a couple of ye…[Read more]

Usually some sort of website or application. I really enjoy making websites and apps because doing so involves being both creative and systematic. It’s my day job and my personal hobby. I should probably get out more but these things aren’t going to make themselves. 😅

What about you, what projects do you work on? I know you do a good bit of SMA…[Read more]

This is great advice. Sometimes it’s hard to understand the effect you can have on the people and environments around you—even if the effect is huge.

In my specific case, when I’m down about things I tend to throw myself into my projects. If I’m being honest, working on my ongoing side projects is my coping mechanism for almost everything. It’s i…[Read more]

Oh cool. Thanks for sharing!

100% this. I have this nagging thought a lot. The fact that I live at home makes me self conscious at times, especially in regards to dating since there is a lot of pressure to give an impression of being independent in a way that lives up to societal standards (eg, “Don’t talk to me if you live with your parents; I want a man not a boy.”) *…[Read more]

I haven’t been here long but I always enjoy your articles and writing style. Hypothetical questions are one of my favorite things. It’s fun to be able to construct an alternate reality where anything is possible (D&D anyone?).

Hypothetically I think I would go for the magical cure. It would be weird for sure and it might pull me away from som…[Read more]

That’s a good question, I’m not sure. I want to say as long as you are within SSI’s income limits then you are also within Medicaid’s limits.

I have this desk from IKEA and am pretty happy with it. BEKANT desk, 47 1/4 x 31 1/2.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/bekant-desk-white-stained-oak-veneer-black-s49282574/

There’s a somewhat non-obvious “loophole” that gives SSI the preferable income limit (potentially). It’s called Continued Medicaid Eligibility (Section 1619(B)).

https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/1619b.htm

The interesting bit here is:

If a SSI beneficiary has gross earnings higher than the threshold amount for his/her State, SSA can fig…

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💯 The current limits are oppressive. Personally I would like to see all means testing removed for disabled workers and introduce a “premium” that is based on the individual’s income. Free us to pursue opportunities without fear of losing PCA care or other necessary benefits.