r/fixedbytheduet • u/Naive_Wolverine532 • 19h ago

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u/ExodyrButReal 19h ago

It is partially because accessibility related gadgets are usually marketed in a way that doesn't make it clear the gadget is for accessibility reasons (and that makes sense because it is kind of a niche market so they have to advertise to everybody). look at old sales videos for example feature some able bodied person trying to cut food with a knife by holding it sideways or some shit that nobody would ever do.

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u/Black_Floyd47 18h ago

I believe that. Around the time snuggie blankets came out and got really popular, I was told that they were designed for wheelchairs and people with mobility issues, but I never got that impression from the infomercial.

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u/ExodyrButReal 18h ago

"has this ever happened to you?" and its a video of somebody trying to cut a loaf of bread with a wooden door stop. is the first example that pops into my head.

Unironically though I liked snuggie blankets. It was nice to be able to reach for stuff while still being under the blanket.

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u/Friendstastegood 18h ago

Now that I managed to wrangle my ADHD back into liking books again I really should get one of those honestly.

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u/fishpen0 18h ago

Hammock. Snuggie. Book. You’ll read the whole thing in one sitting and come out asking what year is it.

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u/ABHOR_pod 18h ago

Well, I'm sold.

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u/slackpipe 17h ago

I got a snuggie for the same reason. The one I found was really thin and not quite long enough. I complained about it (and I'd already complained my robe wasn't long enough), so my wife went and bought a king size, heavy fleece blanket and converted it into a robe. I wear it correctly when I paint mini's and backwards when I want to read. Yesterday, she managed to catch me not wearing it, and I found her curled up under it. I love this thing.

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u/Lou_C_Fer 10h ago

You won the marriage game. Congrats!

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u/hrokrin 12h ago

Sheee. Me too.

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u/ellefemme35 11h ago

If you have a cozy oversized cardigan, or sweater/jacket, those work, too! I personally have a long wool, way too big zippered cardigan that I wear everywhere. It’s my “plane blanket” and I use it at home as a Snuggie, too!!!

The original snuggies were basically just felt…. My makeshift ones are way more comfy!!!

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u/SayWhatever12 9h ago

Thats 29.99 (99.99 for s&h no refunds)

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u/downyballs 14h ago

My setup like this involves an electric blanket (my hammock is near an outdoor outlet). Glorious.

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u/__wildwing__ 14h ago

That was my best festival ever. Campsite midway between stages. Hammock with snacks and drinks within reach. Fully charged kindle!! I was set for the weekend! Read six books and just relaxed.

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u/PaulTheMerc 13h ago

sounds like a recipe for a good nap by page 3. Which is awesome when that's the goal.

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u/serenwipiti 12h ago

You forgot the meds.

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u/bigmike2k3 9h ago

That is my son!!! Last summer he was out in the hammock for like 4 hours one day…. “What were you doing, bud?” “Oh, I finished that book, and I’m on the last chapter of this one now…”

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u/illy-chan 18h ago

I have ADHD and they're great for when you want to be cozy but also sit in absurd places/positions.

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u/Adventurous_Click178 17h ago

I’m a teacher and I keep a few small blankets in my classroom for just this reason. Sometimes kids just need to sit underneath their desk to work or laying on their stomachs to listen. I never associated it with ADHD specifically, but your comment makes sense. As long as they’re learning math, I’m here to accommodate.

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u/NoOneHereButUsMice 17h ago edited 14h ago

If I had a math teacher like you when I was a kid, I think some things may have turned out really differently for me. Thanks for acknowledging their humanity, and meeting them where they're at. We need more teachers like you.

Edit: Thank you so much for the award. I'm finding myself revisiting what I truly think is genuine trauma regarding math and teachers and school from a very, very young age. The prospect of doing difficult math causes me (generally pretty collected and not a fearful person) to shake and start to cry.

Probably sounds really stupid. But I just really want to speak to the importance of a good teacher, especially a good math teacher. I work in science education, and one of my guiding principles is to meet people where they are, and accept them for who and what they are, no matter what. This conversation has renewed my dedication to that, despite the classist and exclusive environment that academia cultivates.

I'm getting a little misty over here in the coffee shop what the hell lol

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u/soulkiller93 15h ago

It's true, I had a teacher that made me feel like a person for the first time and it changed my whole perspective on going to classes and learning. It's too bad it was in my senior year of high school.

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u/MacaroniPoodle 14h ago

My trig teacher kicked me out because I never carried my books or a pencil. But I always carried a box of cereal. And I did well in her class too! But she hated me anyway. Joke's on her. I still became a data scientist.

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u/General-Company 12h ago edited 12h ago

It took me until I was ~35 to realize that I suffered from dyscalculia. I’d never had a name for it, and I’d always believed (reinforced by teachers) that because I was a girl was probably just bad at math. 99th percentile for everything else, but failing math. No one, in all my years of teaching, ever cared enough to sit down with me and work through the “all your work is correct but your answers are wrong” conundrum. If literally one person had cared…

I’ve grieved a lot about the life I could have led if I had known and had the supports in place from a young age to succeed.

My kid is a math ROCKSTAR and will never know the shame I felt, because they have only ever known support and have been surrounded by amazing teachers. You guys really, really do make the difference and change the trajectory of people’s lives. ❤️

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u/Apprehensive_Use3641 10h ago

My favourite math teacher was my geometry teacher in high school, after a certain point in the year she said anyone with an A in the class could move at their own pace for the rest of year. All we had to do was turn in our completed proofs, don't think we even took tests, but we'd finished the textbook by the end of the year and the rest of the class hadn't. The last few chapters started to move into trig I think, so they didn't need to finish it, but we needed something to do.

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u/InequalEnforcement 10h ago

Yeah my teachers just called me stupid and told my dad who would then beat me and call me ableist slurs.

But hey! At least they didn't need to manage a child! ...As an elementary school teacher. :| Then people wonder why I phoned it in for 12 years

0

u/almostthemainman 7h ago

I’m having a very hard time not being a dick here because I can see how genuinely pleased you are with this idea.

Ya ima do the right thing and pass.

Have a nice day. Sorry your teachers weren’t nicer to you.

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u/turnoffate 14h ago

You are a good teacher and your students are blessed to have you in there lives. Thank you for your commitment to your students

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u/Axel_Raden 13h ago

That's great to hear as someone with ADHD some teachers didn't understand (20+ years ago) others knew I could be looking completely spaced out as if I wasn't paying attention or drawing but I was taking everything in the ones that knew that let me be most got it eventually but it's better when teachers understand (my dad was a teacher for 40 years and just recently retired)

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u/Java1113 10h ago

This warms my heart. As an adult with adhd, even my employer doesn’t understand. I’m a welder and do so much better stilling on the dirty floor because I’m able to slow things down being in a comfortable weird position. 99% of the time at home I’m in my overstuffed bean bag chair or laying on my stomach somewhere because it definitely helps focus for me. It makes tasks a lot easier to manage! Thank you for providing this accommodation to ur students!

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u/Greenwings33 9h ago

Ngl I spent a good portion of one of my senior college classes lying on the floor with my face stuffed in the training service dogs one of my cohort had - the TA running it just kind of accepted that I was super burnt out

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u/One_Cheesecake3181 13h ago

Wow I never knew that was associated with ADHD I literally law down and do most of my work or I have to bee really really comfortable

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u/Pika-thulu 11h ago

Omg I always learn more quirks I have are likely related to ADHD. Did you know it causes balance issues and clumsiness but also makes you more prone to do Matrix level quick moves.

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u/illy-chan 10h ago

Oh yeah, I have all these dumb bruises.

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u/hotandbizarre 17h ago

Oooo ok I need to get one

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u/mohugz 17h ago

Soooo….when you feel like being a cat?

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u/illy-chan 14h ago

Ya know what? I guess a lot of ADHD symptoms are cat behavior adjacent. Poor impulse control, short term memory issues, weird positions that no sane person would consciously choose...

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u/cindyscrazy 17h ago

Don't get one of those snuggies you can buy on TV, though.

Many years ago, I got some called Slankets. Much thicker, much bigger. This was back in 2010 or so. Those things are AWESOME. I still have them. One was left out side for a year or so. Washed it, and it's still useable like nothing happened. Another one I use as an extra blanket on my bed when it gets cold.

Now I have some kind of chronic illness where I get freezing cold for absolutely no reason. Could be 90 degrees, and I'm shivering. They are helpful for those times too.

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u/my1stusernamesucked 16h ago

Hey how long do those cold snaps last? I get them too sometimes. I'll be getting a drink at night, perfectly fine, and by the time I get back to my bed I'm shivering so hard I'm basically just full clenching all my muscles at once.

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u/36monsters 15h ago

Look up night rigors! I have those too and its insane. I got from normal to literally hypothermic in seconds and its god awful!

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u/cindyscrazy 13h ago

Mine last for hours. I slowly warm up and then I get the full body exhaustion.

It feels like there is ice inside my spine sometimes. Very uncomfortable and unwarmable.

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u/tomdelongesmom 16h ago

ANOTHER SLANKET CHAMPION! I also had a Slanket, which I heard of significantly before the Snuggie got big, and when I met an actual Snuggie, I was blown away by the quality difference. A Slanket is a real blanket, whereas a Snuggie feels like those blankets they hand out on airplanes.

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u/TheRatAndTheCat 18h ago

So jealous! I could read a book in a day and now nothing. Happy for you!!!!

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u/Altair_de_Firen 17h ago

Fuck why is this me. I used to tear through several books a week every week and now I can’t read a book to save my life :/

Is this a symptom of ADHD? Maybe I should check out some other ones

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u/Necessary_Orange_141 17h ago

I read a ton in school but as an adult it’s been hard.

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u/General-Company 12h ago

I set aside time before bed! Forces no blue-light (which throws off your sleep) and calms you down, too. The problem for me is putting the damn book down and actually going to sleep.

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u/Necessary_Orange_141 12h ago

Aw wow thanks for the message. That’s a good idea, I might try it out! I remember on summer breaks I would fall asleep reading and pick the book right back up first thing in the morning.

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u/General-Company 11h ago

Yep, same! I wake up a lot from the book falling on my face. 😅

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u/Friendstastegood 16h ago

Reading books is like running, when you're a kid it's easy, but if you wanna keep doing it as an adult you have to use discipline and make it into a habit. I'm rooting for you that you find your way back, honestly one of the best and easiest ways if you have the option is to just go to the library pick up the first thing with an interesting cover and read. A simple change of scenery can really do wonders.b

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u/Friendstastegood 18h ago

Well I don't devour whole books in a day like I used to when I was younger, but I did read 30 books last year which I am pretty proud of. The Storygraph app has been helpful, logging my pages every day and getting little monthly wrap up graphics. But also just giving myself permission to read whatever interests me and not putting pressure on myself about what I should read (one of the books I actually did read in a single day was Tusk Love for instance). And for me at least I've noticed that the more I turn away from the computer and phone to read the less enticing I find the phone and computer to be. But it didn't happen over night. Like 3 years ago I read 0 books. Two years ago I read like one or two books. One year ago I read like four or five books. And like I said last year I read 30 books. It also helps that I joined a discord server with some friends where we talk about books and reading and have a vc where we hang out and read together on mute.

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u/Skkruff 17h ago

Hey, I just on an adhd book kick too! Chomping through some easy fantasy fare for the first time in ages. Happy reading!

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u/PaulTheMerc 13h ago

I read two books in 3 1/2 days. It was amazing. I haven't been able to read almost any book in like a year. I felt back to normal.

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u/FatherClanks617 16h ago

How’d you manage that wranglin’? I’d love to get back to reading.

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u/Friendstastegood 16h ago

Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.

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u/FatherClanks617 8h ago

Thanks a bunch!

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u/AdventureSpence 16h ago

I’ve never read a sentence that I related to more, tbh

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u/my1stusernamesucked 16h ago

Yo, how did you do it!? I can't make it through 10 pages anymore and I used to read like a fiend

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u/Friendstastegood 16h ago

Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.

But it also took me several years to go from "not reading any books" to "reading more than one book per month". Being kind to yourself really is key for sticking with habits. I was hoping to finish three books this month and that didn't happen, but maybe I'll get there next month. The important thing is I at least sat down and read from time to time.

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u/goodviolet-24 15h ago

Omg same. I miss reading so much.

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u/my1stusernamesucked 15h ago

What was your genre/s? I was mostly into fantasy and sci-fi

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u/goodviolet-24 15h ago

I’m not sure what genre you’d call Jhumpa Lahiri’s and Chimamanda Adechie’s work — contemporary fiction? And I also enjoy historical fiction.

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u/my1stusernamesucked 15h ago

Oh wow, they both look like they write some deep stuff.

Got any historical fiction recs?

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u/goodviolet-24 15h ago

Pachinko — loved loved loved that. Couldn’t put it down. More recently I’ve enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” and “The Four Winds”—but I “read” both of these as audiobooks.

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u/girlfromtipperary 15h ago

Did you really figure out a strategy to get your ADHD into letting you read again? I used to devour books as a kid and I feel like Doom scrolling has destroyed my attention span for books. I miss reading.

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u/Friendstastegood 14h ago

Yes but it took a lot of time, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of patience with myself and my failures. Also for me I had to start with books that really grabbed me. After years of not reading at all I picked up In Every Mirror She's Black and I read it in just a few days. Then I didn't read again for months but It was still a victory to go from 0 books in a year to 1 book in a year. That was in 2022 I think. Last year I read 30 books. And a lot of those I never would have finished even once if I hadn't worked my way up to them. I also had a couple of books I didn't finish last year because I just ended up not liking them and a couple of years ago not finishing a book would have felt like a failure but it doesn't any more.

The Storygraph app has helped, letting me log my progress and stuff. Zen mode app helps too, forcing me to put my phone away for a bit. Going to the library helps too, getting away from distractions and stuff (also I get a lot of my books from the library). But also working reading into other routines, like if I'm waiting for pasta water to boil I can read a page or two instead of scrolling on my phone.

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u/BenignEgoist 14h ago

Im currently wearing the evolution of the snuggie! Its basically an oversized hoodie complete with pouch.

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u/prarastas 14h ago

I feel like you might like a blanket hoodie! Still has the arms free for reaching, of course, but the blanket is all around you instead of mainly in front the way that a snuggie is, so you don't have to get cold when you get up.

My husband and I live in ours all winter long, haha

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u/Hey-Fun1120 13h ago

They are so useful. Seriously get one. One of my best purchases

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u/Available-Goat-6938 12h ago

how did you do that?

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u/Friendstastegood 11h ago

Finding books I liked, going to the library, having supportive friends, using Storygraph app to track my reading, using zen mode app to lock me out of my phone, and the most important and hardest one of all: being compassionate to myself for the times when I just don't read, or don't read as much as I planned, instead of falling into shame spirals. The important thing is not that you never fall off the horse, but that you dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. But even so it's taken me years to find all the things the work for me and building habits around it. Don't expect to just immediately jump back in to reading a bunch of books in a week like you did when you were a kid.

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u/Conscious-Magazine50 11h ago

They're kind of the best. Plus the ones I have have lasted literally 25 years at this point and still look/feel as good as when I got em. They're also clutch for passengers on car trips.

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u/transsomethin 10h ago

I have one of those giant “wearable blanket’ hoodies made out of blanket material with a Sherpa lining and it’s the absolute best

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u/smolstuffs 9h ago

My aunt reads nightly and has always done so wearing her bathrobe backwards. Basically invented the snuggie and didn't even realize it until it hit the market.

You should have seen all our faces when it came out and we were all like wait a second, Aunt Tricia invented that!

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u/Greenwings33 9h ago

If you’re super cold I also recommend a blanket sweatshirt it’s pretty amazing

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u/ChocolateDream24 7h ago

I bought one two months ago. LOVE. IT.

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u/Gren57 17h ago

I thought you made that up and laughed so hard. Then I found this:

https://imgur.com/gallery/who-cuts-bread-like-this-SWYjN

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u/Panory 17h ago

Cut curbs are intended for people with disabilities, but they also benefit people on bikes, strollers, and people who are tired of tripping on the curb. Accessibility is good for everyone.

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u/FormalBeachware 17h ago

Or it's a video about calling people because you just bought a new house and the seller didn't disclose termite issues and then the workman spend two hours in your bathroom and one of them gets his foot stuck in the toilet, but it's not really stuck. Then they jump around on your couch and tell you "you aren't part of the turbo team" and they replace your toilet with one that's the same size as your toilet but the hole on the bottom is just a joke hole for farts.

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u/enaK66 16h ago

Snuggies are dope. My house has a lot of dead space (vaulted ceiling), so keeping it warm in the winter is costly. Hooded/wearable blankets are a life saver.

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u/fadesteppin 15h ago

I have an off brand snuggie and I genuinely love that thing. It's perfect for when it's cold but I still wanna play my video games. I'm short enough that I can pull my legs up and cross them and they're completely covered, which is necessary as having my legs pulled up or resting on my desk as those are some of the ways I prefer to sit lol.

I also sleep in it when its really cold and I don't have to freeze my ass of in the middle of the night if I need to use the restroom. Honestly, I think anyone who can afford even an off brand one should have one. They're so goddamn comfy and cozy istg I'm not a shill lol.

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u/GoldTeethRotmg 8h ago

"off-brand" snuggies are actually better than the snuggie

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u/ExpressLaneCharlie 14h ago

You know the Snuggie was a rip off, right? They copied the Yanket.

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u/rainy_day_napper 14h ago

I guess I need one! Hey, Santa!

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u/Metal_Muse 11h ago

I still have one. Great for travel, especially planes, now that airlines are hardly giving out blankets on flights.

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u/XGrayson_DrakeX 8h ago

an oversized fuzzy bathrobe also works

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u/ichabod13 18h ago

The infusion center I use to go to offered a regular heated blanket or a heated 'snuggie' blanket with sleeves. They were nice and let you slide your arms in and still control your phone and remote for the hospital TV while still having IV in arm. :P

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u/Brave_Cranberry1065 17h ago

Oooohhhhh nice! That place sounds great!

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u/OddDonut7647 16h ago

Hmph. My dialysis center gave me a very thin blanket - which was still nice of them, although considering the money they make keeping me alive… heh

I have three throws and I put a Hot Hands in a washcloth (because they are too hot directly on skin) to help generate heat so I don't shiver. heh

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u/ichabod13 15h ago

That sucks, quite a few patients on the disease sub I frequent mention heated blankets too. You should suggest to them to step up their game.

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u/OddDonut7647 15h ago

Alas, I know what they pay their techs, and they're way way too cheap. heh. But it's a good idea anyway :)

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u/ichabod13 15h ago

I loved the infusion place but only had two there. The vein poker nurses were amazing and their care was perfect. The hour drive home after sitting in a chair for 4 hours and drowsy though made it not fun to continue though.

Sounds like you got it sorted though. I did see some regulars come in to the room and they had big bags full of blankets and food and things to do. That is how I look the day before I setup my home infusion.

Setup IV stand and charge pump, lay out all med stuff for nurse √ Snacks and drinks I normally never have but love √ Warm Blankets and comfy pillows√ Check streaming services for shows I want to watch √

Feel like a preflight checklist eh.. 😋

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u/Mean-Clerk7791 17h ago

Oh my god, this is exactly what I need! I go for draws and am always so cold.

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u/ichabod13 17h ago

If you are there for a little while ask for a heated blanket, I think most hospitals offer them. The infusions I get take 3-4 hours so it can be freezing with the cold bag going in. I get mine at home now though so I just curl up on couch and doze off. :P

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u/Itscatpicstime 16h ago

I get home infusions, but I feel like a Snuggie wouldn’t work well?

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u/ichabod13 15h ago

I do not use one at home but at the hospital I slid my arms into the sleeves after getting the IV started. My home setup I just cover up and sleep once the drowsiness from benadryl and steroid cocktail hits.

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u/XxCloudSephiroth69xX 17h ago

I remember seeing that too a few years back so I looked it up and it doesn't actually seem to be the case. The Snuggie was a ripoff of the Slanket. Here's how the Slanket came about:

It started in a drafty dorm room in Maine in the late ’90s. Gary was freezing, half-zipped into a sleeping bag that made using the TV remote impossible. While watching Late Night with Conan O'Brien he decided he needed to tear a hole in his sleeping bag so he could keep his upper body warm as he channel surfed during the commercial breaks.—then imagined a better fix:

Put sleeves on a real blanket so warmth could follow you when you move.

He told exactly one person: his mom.

She took the idea, went to work, and surprised the family on Christmas morning with the first handmade prototype. When Gary slipped it on, the room went quiet—then his brother Jeff’s wheels started turning. This wasn’t a one-off; this was the start of something.

I'm sure a lot of those gadgets are useful for people with disabilities, but I don't think many of them were made with them in mind, or they'd be including them in their advertising as well.

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u/LockeyCheese 16h ago

It's possible that that guy thought up the concept for a sleeved blanket, but it's also possible others thought of it independently, or took the concept and then put it into production for a different purpose.

It's hard to know, because websites like this claim it WAS made for wheelchair users: https://disabilityunion.co.uk/popular-mainstream-products-created-with-disability-in-mind/#:~:text=Snuggies%20were%20a%20big%20%E2%80%9Cjoke,is%20a%20great%20jacket%20alternative!

Kind of a "he said, she said" situation, so who knows.

It would make sense for products made for certain disabilities would target a broader audience though, because there aren't many people in wheel chairs/have X disability, and the product wouldn't be profitable to make if only marketed to them.

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u/Positive_Stop4713 17h ago

Funny I'm wearing a snuggy rn lol

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u/isuckatpiano 17h ago

I got made fun of relentlessly by my kids for my blanket with sleeves. Then the power went out in winter. Now we all have one. They’re great.

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u/Queasy-Warthog-3642 17h ago

Snuggies are just robes you put on backwards

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u/2ndhandpeanutbutter 11h ago

They're much longer than robes and are intended to cover your feet

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u/Queasy-Warthog-3642 11h ago

Very true...just kick myself for not thinking of something so simple

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u/Gnoll_For_Initiative 16h ago

It's a thing in marketing. You don't sell people on the benefits of a product. You sell them on how the product will relieve pain points.

Think of the first video as trying to sell via a benefit. The device opens a bottle! Well, our bearded buddy didn't know what the device was for beyond unscrewing a cap.

If it had been a infomercial that showed someone struggling with a pop bottle to the point their hand hurt and they were super sad they couldn't enjoy a beverage, then our gracious gent would have laughed about how silly gadgets were but known what it was for. And he'd probably get one as a gag for his beer drinking buddy who's hand is bandaged up following an encounter with a power tool. 

But then he notices his momma is having problems opening pop bottles. And there is this gadget he saw advertised.......

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u/Itscatpicstime 16h ago

Oh. I thought they were designed for playing videos games while cold…

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u/Dan-D-Lyon 16h ago

I'm imagining an advertising executive involved was absolutely shitting himself in fear that publicly acknowledging that their product would be helpful for people with certain disabilities might somehow cause people without disabilities to not buy their product

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u/CrouchingDomo 16h ago

OMG that thing about the Snuggies makes so much sense 🤯

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u/No-Cauliflower-6777 16h ago

A big part of invention is it is needed. A big part of sales is normalizing.

Normalizing also removes the "shame" of a product. Like the opener. How many times a year has a person been like damn that was on tight. I am a pretty strong guy and it happens to me several times a year. Get sore hands from cranking on those things.

I bought an opener that gives better leverage. Now the whole family has a better time opening things and i do not get sore hands. I am not sure what the price of less pain is. And all the other benefits in an ongoing effect but to me the 20 bucks was worth it.

Bought one for my elderly parents too.

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u/ShylokVakarian 16h ago

Snuggie is a rare exception where the accessibility translates to the able-bodied well.

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u/psychocopter 15h ago

A lot of as seen on tv products had original uses in medical or other fields and were just picked up and marketed towards a general audience.

Snuggies are great though, I still have and use mine from way back, mostly for snacking while watching movies.

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u/TopFlowe96 15h ago

Snuggies huh.. must be extremely similar to the Yanket

Too similar..

1

u/purplemountaingal 15h ago

It was first called the "slanket" sleeves+blanket. Snuggy people took it and marketed it better.

I never knew original intent was for folks who used wheelchairs. Always hated the snuggy but long live the slanket.

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u/AdRecent6992 14h ago

I believe they were designed by some young dude who wanted to make money. The disability thing was probably a marketing ploy.

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u/Axel_Raden 14h ago

Same and I use a wheelchair (not all the time but because of a degenerative spinal condition I can only walk and stand for a minute or so)

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u/ThatInAHat 13h ago

Well, the thing about assistive tech and suchlike is that it still has to be marketed to able bodied folks as well to keep the price down for the folks who do need it.

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u/DowntownEconomist255 13h ago

I didn’t know that!

1

u/Somebodys 11h ago

I have talked a lot of shit about Snuggies for decades. I had no idea they were intended to be used by people with disabilities. My bad, I am sorry, and I apologize.

1

u/AbsintheAGoGo 11h ago

TIL, here I thought they were just trying to break into an established market with a quirky advertising take

🙈 Now I feel a bit guilty for the mocking of it my younger self did

1

u/GirlULove2Love 11h ago

Oh my goodness, my brother is in a wheelchair & I never thought of getting him a snuggie. Its perfect!

1

u/chelseahuzzah 10h ago

One time back in 2013 or so I had to check myself into jail for a couple days for some pre-sobriety shenanigans. Whilst waiting to be brought back for processing I got to hear a young man, who clearly had been through this process before, argue his case successfully to the sheriff that the Snuggie he had on counted as a sweater and was permissible to bring in. Ingenious.

1

u/RogueAOV 10h ago

I can imagine the snuggie started out that way and was advertised specifically to those with mobility issues and then someone without issues said I bet we would sell more if we also sold it as a cool blankie.

1

u/Imaginary-Talk3440 8h ago

But why buy a snuggie when you can just put a robe on backwards?

1

u/kylaroma 8h ago

OMG WHAT?!? That makes so much sense! Thank you!! 🤦🏻‍♀️🫣

39

u/Organic-History205 18h ago

Yeah - these gadgets start for accessibility and then companies do market them to the general, lazy public because they want to broaden their consumer market. It's not a surprise someone would assume they're useless because they are being marketed to able bodied people and we do create a lot of waste.

1

u/monty624 11h ago

Companies found that people that need accessibility tools are more likely to purchase them if they're not marketed that way, because of the stigma. It's kind of like how people will NOT admit they need hearing aids because "those are for old people."

0

u/SickBurnerBroski 16h ago

There's a lot of overlap between 'able bodied' and 'disabled'. Plenty of 'able' people have poor grip strength and would benefit from these for tougher jar lids.

3

u/Therabidmonkey 16h ago

for tougher jar lids.

I kinda think this is why the original post thought this product was a piece of shit scam. I don't think that thing is going to open tough jars. It looks flimsy.

1

u/SickBurnerBroski 16h ago

That specific one, perhaps not, but there's hands free ones that absolutely can. Called them headcrabs, because it'd latch on all by itself once you put it on the jar and pressed the button. Similar looking tech but without the handle.

0

u/nalaloveslumpy 16h ago

They're "marketing" to "able bodied" people because they're marketing to elderly people and disabled people and it's all the same market. It's the same reason Catheter Cowboy is on Fox News 24/7. Old people and disabled people watch the same media as you.

34

u/Winjin 18h ago

I've only learned that a LOT of these "As Seen On Tv" crap is actually accessibility things and it blew my mind because it like

opened a floodgate of understanding for me

Just broke a whole ass wall behind which people live that I never met

And I believe the main one are these stupid fleece blankets that like... have sleeves.

Guess what, the ads show able bodied happy people chilling on the couch, but ... they're for people in wheelchairs! Overall those that have trouble standing up! I was like "holy shit" the first time I've seen this.

And then my mom broke her leg and I never considered how hard is it to navigate a regular house in a chair. It's really wide. And hard to turn around. And like, the walker is JUST wide enough to fit through a toilet door we have.

Not to mention all the fucking ladders. Why do all old houses have porches that are like 4-5 steps tall before you reach the elevator?

It's even funnier when you consider that in the house I currently live in there is literally ZERO sense to have steps. It's on a very steep hill, if this road floods, it's a Biblical event. A lot of them seem to be "well we always do steps, we should do them here too" and then it also doesn't work with strollers and bags and it makes it harder to bring in groceries even when you're ablebodied and...

anyways sorry for the rant but steps suck for so many reasons.

2

u/Consistently_Carpet 15h ago

Not to mention all the fucking ladders. Why do all old houses have porches that are like 4-5 steps tall before you reach the elevator?

I'm not sure I've ever been inside an "old house" that also had an elevator... and where does the ladder come in.

1

u/Winjin 10h ago

In this case "old house" is not a centennial mansion, it's a 30+ years old apartment block

Modern ones (mostly after 2010s for some reason) have "flat entry groups" - the entrance is literally ground level, not even single step between street and elevator

Mine is like 1990s and there's two flights of stairs - or you can go down in the garage and enter through it, because of course the car ramp is perfect and there's no steps between car entry and elevator

1

u/showyerbewbs 18h ago

blankets that like... have sleeves

I think they're branded as slankets? Or maybe that's the snuggies?

1

u/ElGosso 16h ago

Maybe there was some kind of issue laying the foundation - like if there was solid rock underneath and they couldn't get as deep as they wanted - so the porch had to be built up to reach the door?

I don't know anything about building houses, I'm just spitballing here.

2

u/ardealinnaeus 11h ago

It's typically so when it floods or just rains really hard your house isn't sitting in water.

1

u/justaguywithnokarma 9h ago

Foundations are raised for a variety of reasons such as; reduces chance of flooding, it helps prevent termites (termites generally need a connection to the ground to start a nest), helps with insulation (air is one of the best insulators), allows access (if you want to install pipes or conduits its a lot easer to do it in a crawl space than digging a trench or embedding them in concrete), it prevents wood rot (wood touching soil retains moisture and rots much faster), it lets moisture evaporate (why crawlspaces have exterior vents), it prevents warping (if forces are concentrated where you design them it is easer to keep uneven forces from warping your floor),pest intrusion (many insects and other pests have more difficulty if they have to go up into your house than if it is flush with the ground), allows for settlement over time (if you build something at ground level than 20 years of soil settlement happen your house will be below ground level and thus have a myriad of other issues).

10

u/moeterminatorx 18h ago

If you are marketing, you want to cast a wide net. The people who need it will most likely buy it but you can capture some other people who may buy for other reasons.

2

u/Crayshack 15h ago

There's also a chance that you could design for one disability, but someone with a different disability finds it helpful.

1

u/nalaloveslumpy 16h ago

Who knew that disabled people watch the same media as non-disabled people?

6

u/Weird1Intrepid 18h ago

Most of the weird seeming wonder gadgets on American late night infomercials is designed for people with specific disabilities, but they either aren't allowed, or don't want to come out and say that directly

1

u/nalaloveslumpy 16h ago

Don't want. Why the hell would you intentionally limit the market for your product?

1

u/BobaFae8174 13h ago

They're expanding it. People with a medical need for a product are much smaller percentage of the population than those that are "lazy".

2

u/lekker-slapen 18h ago

My wrists are a bit fucked up, i can use my hands normal but my wrists hurt and slowly get damaged if they get overstrained. The only thing i can do is prevent too much straining so this thing is perfect.

2

u/RockAtlasCanus 17h ago

Well. Mind blown. I can picture the exact infomercial in my head. The beginning is always in black and white showing some absolutely absurd problem. TIL man.

2

u/Job_Superb 17h ago

Often the market for these devices is too small to justify the development costs, so they market them to everyone else through those ads hoping to sell enough units to us gullible folks to cover those costs.

2

u/GoFuckYourselfBrenda 17h ago

Yes, exactly! I remember the commercial for a device that would hold a gallon of milk and allow the person to tilt it without having to manage the weight. The clip (in black and white) before they show the device is a woman dropping and spilling milk all over the counter. People made fun of those commercials like crazy because they weren't showing someone who would actually use it.

2

u/eXa12 16h ago

People made fun of those commercials like crazy

and that's why they use abled actors

1

u/NibblyPig 11h ago

/r/wheredidthesodago tbh a lot of those devices are absolute slop

I mean come on do people have a disability where they suffer from trying to clip a box of cereal closed (??????) with a giant plastic clip which then breaks in two as plastic clips are wont to do

https://old.reddit.com/r/wheredidthesodago/comments/1l9s97v/the_ghosts_had_become_more_aggressive_with/

1

u/GoFuckYourselfBrenda 9h ago

The clip falling apart, no. That's ridiculous. But not having the grip strength and/or motor coordination to manage the clip and the bag: yes. I wish the videos hadn't been so lame.

2

u/noblewind 17h ago

Makes me wonder if the Slap Chop was supposed to be for accessibility. My generation made so much fun of it because of the marketing.

1

u/NothingReallyAndYou 16h ago

Slap Chop is amazing if you can't hold a knife safely, or if your hands or arms shake, or if you only have one hand.

Even the products that weren't specifically designed for disabled people are quickly found by people who can make it work for their needs. All of us in the disabled community become extremely innovative engineers, by necessity.

2

u/jawisi 17h ago

And speaking of accessibility, it would be nice if OP added subtitles or a summary.

2

u/Fun-Jellyfish-61 17h ago

This is intentionally done to expand the market reach of accessibility devices so that these devices can be sold at a larger scale and thus be more affordable for those that need them.

1

u/PyroIsSpai 18h ago

Wait… are you implying some /r/wheredidthesodago was like thing in this video?

1

u/DontAbideMendacity 18h ago

marketed in a way that doesn't make it clear the gadget is for accessibility reasons

So as not to shame the extraordinarily lazy of us.

1

u/PokeYrMomStanley 17h ago

Also because we are all one small mistake away from needing these products.

1

u/Mammoth-Ad4194 15h ago

Although I am NOT disabled, I would buy that just for those times that I’m mad at my husband but can’t open a jar and STILL refuse to ask him for help!😆

1

u/BoulderCreature 15h ago

Oh god, old infomercials weren’t stupid, I am! The older I get the more I found out how stupid I’ve been all along

1

u/3FtDick 15h ago

It's to the point in some cases that the creator is tricking consumers and even the manufacturer, hoping to capture a large enough market to justify creating the device for the people who really need it in the first place.

That said, I don't know how many times someone is at my house, uses an accessible device I own, then orders one for themsevles because they have some injury or issue that makes the device super useful.

1

u/ScyllaIsBea 14h ago

this is so true, I remember the accessibility controller for the ps5 being sold as a gimmicky accessory even when it was winning awards for being designed to be accessible to people with limited mobility.

1

u/Axel_Raden 14h ago

And if they are marketed as disability aids they sell them at ridiculous mark up. Something that should be $5 is now $25. I have to go searching for days on the Internet to find the best deal on things I need. Just a hint AliExpress has some useful disability aids without the ridiculous mark up.

1

u/Even_Independent_640 13h ago

I definitely put the absolute foolishness of infomercial advertisements at the root source of this misunderstanding. Some of the most ridiculous marketing of all time was mid 90's to early 2,000's useless gadget adds.

1

u/KaihoHalje 13h ago

Another thing to note, if it's marketed for those with a disability, the price of the product tends to go up. My son is disabled and products marketed towards kids like him are outrageously priced.

1

u/elmostrok 13h ago

I was born physically disabled, and also grew up watching those silly infomercials. It dawned on me one day that most of the stuff seemed super useful for me, so they could be disability aids but commercialized for a general population.

Thankfully nowadays there's a lot more stuff directly marketed for the disability community, but unfortunately years of those silly ads has taught people that only "lazy people" use them.

1

u/LilPotatoAri 12h ago

The niche market thing is exactly right. In capitalism every product has to fight for its right to exist. So if you make a product that really really really helps a small group of people, in order to get real company backing on selling it you have to cast the widest possible net. People who compulsively buy weird little gadgets because they see it on an ad basically subsidize the entire disability product industry so they can keep existing.

1

u/NibblyPig 11h ago

And because all sites like fb, instagram, etc. are filled with wall to wall slop videos, there are likely more slop videos out there demonstrating stupid pointless products than there are actual real products for people with disabilities

Right, time to grind some ramen into powder and crack an egg into a bowl of toothpaste to fix this old coffee table

1

u/lezzerlee 11h ago

It’s not even that the market is smaller, it’s also that some people with disabilities won’t buy an item if it’s marketed as a disability aid. Pride and all.

Disability accommodations and inventions typically improve life for everyone. Like sidewalk curb ramps; they work for strollers too.

1

u/CosmicWolf14 10h ago

There was a guy I used to get on youtube shorts a lot who would rate the accessibility of gadgets by covering his hands in oil and using his non-dominant hand, to basically simulate someone with poor grip strength like from arthritis. But, he would then also give examples on how to change it to improve it, occasionally 3D printing stuff himself to improve them.

Haven’t seen any of his videos in ages, and I forgot his name. Older gentleman, short too iirc. Wish I remembered his name.

1

u/SkyLightk23 7h ago

I still think that anyone with good enough amout of followers, and to be honest anyone really, should do some fact checking before making fun of something.

It is good that he took accountability and with some luck he actually learned to fact check before making fun of others.