This is a very general overview of adapting sex toys. There is so much to say about the topic and so many ideas, that we hope you'll consider this page a place to get some basic ideas to work with. A lot of this information comes from our over ten years of working with folks living with disabilities who have been adapting sex toys. There is a book hopefully being published next year by Cleis Press on sex and disability (which is co-written by one of our worker-owners) and which has a much more detailed chapter on sex toys.
All the suggestions have been taken from customers, friends, and focus groups we've attended over the years. We love ideas, and if you have any suggestions or experiences (good or bad) that you want to share with others please e-mail us. We'll post your suggestion with or without your name (as you request).
It's very important to remember that we're all different, both in how we respond sexually and what our needs are, and it's impossible to generalize about making toys accessible. We've found the two most important things in making toys accessible are common sense and a sense of fun and humour.
Because people ask, we have made specific product suggestions below, but again we encourage you to think about what might work for you. Remember that homemade adaptations (using grab bars, reachers, foam, tape, gloves, etc.) are always less expensive and just as good as what the manufacturers produce. If possible we recommend shopping for sex toys in person. Being able to actually feel the switch, smell the material, etc. is very helpful. Unfortunately most sex stores are not fully accessible (our Toronto location is), and there are lots of towns with no sex toy stores at all. If you are looking for a store in your neighborhood feel free to email us and we'll see if we can help you find one.
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