This Gay Disabled Man is Raising Money to Develop Sex Toys for People with Physical Disabilities
People in wheelchairs and those with other physical disabilities enjoy masturbation and self-pleasure just like the rest of us. The only problem is physical disabilities can make it difficult to use sex toys designed for able-bodied people. So Andrew Gurza (above) — a gay “disability awareness consultant” who hosts the sexy Disability After Dark podcast and who organized Toronto’s first-ever orgy for disabled people — is crowdfunding research to develop a line of disabled sex toys specifically developed for people with disabilities.
“Sexual pleasure is a fundamental part of being human – some would even say it’s a right,” Gurza says. “While able-bodied people can fulfill this need quite easily on their own, this isn’t the case for people with disabilities (and limited mobility). Often incorrectly assumed to be lacking in sexual desire, people with disabilities find that their needs are rarely considered when it comes to sex toy design.”
As part of his research, Gurza surveyed 58 people with physical disabilities. Over half of his respondents had trouble pleasuring themselves unaided. About 63% said difficulties with dexterity, grip, muscle control and hand pain made it difficult for them to masturbate on their own. Half of the respondents also said that the currently available variety of sex toys don’t meet their needs.
Considering that one in five Americans has a disability, there’s a huge market for disabled sex toys. In fact, Gurza’s survey found that “96% of people with disabilities are interested in a line of sex toys created with them in mind.”
And so Gurza has launched a $15,000 crowdfunding campaign for research and development of disabled sex toys. So far, the campaign has only raised $935.
When we asked Gurza why able-bodied people should want to donate to a crowdfunding campaign to develop sex toys for people with physical disabilities, Gurza replied, “Able-bodied people will one day become disabled, so they’ll want a toy they too can access.”
He’s right. Aging and illness pretty much guarantee that we’ll all experience decreased mobility and physical ability at some point. So an investment in his campaign helps ensure that everyone will be able to pleasure themselves well into their golden years.
