Disabled Writer Needs Help

I am an Autistic adult who writes about disability issues. My main goal in my writing is to help parents of Autistic children understand autism better and support parents in their goal to raise their children with love and acceptance. I have self-published a book of essays, No You Don't , and have sold a second book, The ABCs of Autism Acceptance, to Autonomous Press . My second book will be released June 2016. You can see previews of the new book (which will have additional, not-yet-published material as well) on my blog, Unstrange Mind . I am also a contributor to the collaborative blog, We Are Like Your Child. For an example, see my post, Do You Believe In Your Children?

In order to do the work I do, I realized I needed to be able to attend autism and disability conferences, go to bookstores and other venues to do readings and public speaking to promote my books and help people more personally, and spend time visiting other Autistic adults and Autistic children around the country.

Because I live on SSI disability, I couldn't travel and also keep an apartment, so I spent the last year and a half planning and now I live in a minivan I've converted to a camper. I'm on the road right now and it's going well. I am able to stay fed, sleep comfortably (at legal, free campsites and low-cost campgrounds), connect to the internet, use the bathroom, and so forth. But there are two things that I am in desperate need of in order to keep doing the work I do:

1. I need a source of electricity to power my laptop so I can write every day (currently I write at coffee houses and I charge my computer on my car cigarette lighter but because I don't drive every day that means I am spending gas money for charging and that gets very expensive very quickly.)

2. I need a way to take showers so that I can remain presentable and be treated well by the general public, police officers, and other people who could give me a lot of trouble if I get really dirty and smelly. Plus, it's really uncomfortable going without a shower!

I am hoping that there are people out there who see value in the work I do and would like to help me meet these two crucial, unmet needs.  Every donation, of any size,  helps me meet my goal and is greatly appreciated. This is how I plan to spend the money:

Goal Zero Solar Equipment: Nomad 20 and Sherpa 50 (and car charger and inverter.) The reason I have chosen these products (after much research) is that they are user-friendly, plug and play, and "chainable," which means that in the future I can easily upgrade by getting more panels or a bigger battery unit and connect everything together without early purchases becoming obsolete for my electricity system.

Ozark 2 Room Shower Tent . This tent provides privacy and has a changing room, meaning I don't have to try to figure out how to get dressed without going outside the tent. For obvious reasons, that keeps me safer.

Nemo Pressure Shower . This provides a high quality shower without the need to hang a heavy bag up. The foot pump pressure conserves water, letting me get a good, thorough shower with only a couple of gallons of water - an important consideration when I am carrying my own water. I have two 5 gallon water jugs I fill in between campsites (which often do not provide water, thus their low cost.)

WIth these items, I can keep the laptop charged to write every day (a crucial need for a writer!) and I can set up the shower tent and pressure shower for safe, private showers at campsites.

My life on the road is wonderful. I have lived with tremendous anxiety that has been falling away as I travel and spend time around supportive people and camping in the forests, mountains, and deserts of this beautiful country in which I live. But being dirty and unable to do my work brings so much stress and anxiety back. SSI pays enough for me to live this traveling life and do the work that I hope will make me self-supporting, but it does not pay enough to buy these necessary tools.

Thank you for any donation of any size. You will be helping me to help others and exponentially improving the quality and productivity of my life.