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Month: February 2025

DIY archive work

book cover in english and hindi: Upkaran, a manual of aids for the multiply handicapped

GOAT’s Archival team is cataloguing DIY assistive tech material – currently, many boxes of books and papers donated by Alexandra Enders. Many of the books we are going through and scanning are not available in any library and not findable in digital form online – they are unique, and we are so excited to preserve them for future generations, so they can learn, build, use, and invent based on these assistive tech designs!

The team adds each source to our LibraryThing profile, and adds metadata such as keyword tags. Have a look at our current catalog.

The material is then scanned and uploaded to GOAT’s account on the Internet Archive, freely available to anyone around the world to read.

As we go through the 20 or so donated boxes, we will be moving the source material when appropriate to the Prelinger Library in San Francisco, which has agree to host our physical copies that are unique, rare, or important. These hard copies to be accessible to the public, so that people can visit, browse, and read elements of this important collection in person.

Thanks to our Archiving team: Veronica, Karen, Milo, and Jack!

liz, karen, and veronica smiling in front of a box of papers, a scanner, and laptop

Book cover: Designing and Constructing Adaptive Equipment on your desktop. diagram of child lying on adaptive pillows, design of overcoat with adaptive fastenings

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Love Your Ride – wheelchair maintenance and repair workshop

GOAT is running another free workshop in San Francisco, at the Independent Living
Resource Center SF! In honor of Valentine’s Day we are calling it “Love Your Ride”. At this event we will test out our pilot Fix-It-Kits, which are small pouches of tools and materials, along with a pocket sized zine.

The zine has a workbook page to record useful information about your mobility device, and then goes through inspection, cleaning, checking vulnerable points like all bolts, screws, wheels, folding parts, and attachments. Collecting that info will help us construct a custom kit, with replacement bolts, tools for tightening bolts and screws, and so on.

a colorful zine and some tools coming out of a zippered pencil pouch

Free workshop to learn maintenance for your mobility gear
Wheelchairs, powerchairs, scooters, walkers, rollators, etc.

Time: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: ILRCSF, 825 Howard Street – San Francisco

FREE TOOLKIT AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL

We will work with you to make a custom maintenance and emergency repair kit!
You will get to take home a small, portable bag with tools and materials customized for you.

There is also a workbook to fill out with information about your mobility device or devices.

We will look for service manuals and other information to give you as well!

Please register by emailing Brianna@ilrcsf.org with your name, phone number, and any particular access needs you have. Or you can call or text Vincent @ 415-609-2555 if you prefer that to email. We’d love to see you there!

A joint workshop by Grassroots Open Assistive Tech and ILRCSF
Liz Henry, liz@openassistivetech.org, https://openassistivetech.org
Vincent Lopez, vincent@ilrcsf.org, https://ilrcsf.org
Marisol Ferrante, marisol@ilrcsf.org, Nick Feldman Assistive Tech Lending Library

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