Page 44 - Essence of Beauty April May 2021
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why do you think that for so building something meaningful don’t allow any paid content
many sex is still a taboo together. which looks at sex from a
subject? positive, pleasurable perspective.
The non-disabled community
Heather: Sex is still taboo in likewise has been very Even sexual health and wellness
content gets removed by their
most countries - even the more supportive. Most non-disabled filters. This really limits our
forward ones. And you layer on people simply haven’t thought ability to gain mass reach within
top of that self-pleasure and about it before. Just like I hadn’t the disabled community and able
people get really squeamish. until Andrew and I had the -bodied communities as well. So
When you introduce disability, deeper conversation. He gave me we are forced to be very nimble
which many people are also my light bulb moment and the
uncertain how to talk about more people we can pay the and leverage as much PR, and
Influencers Word of Mouth as
without offending or saying the moment forward to, the more much as we can.
wrong thing, the whole inclusive and empathetic our
conversation just shuts down. society as a whole will become. - Hardware is hard - When we
naively set out to completely
Andrew: There has been such a EOB: What are some of the reimagine sex tech for disabled
lack of sexual education on obstacles you have faced people, we had never heard this
disabled sex, so people keep bringing about your vision? turn of phrase commonly used in
repeating the same myths about As with any really innovative start-up land. Essentially birthing
sex and disability over and over a physical product into the world
again. If there was more sex start up, we’ve definitely take heaps more capital and
experienced some obstacles and
education done by disabled unexpected hurdles. 2 of the work than it does to create an
people (something Handi is hard app or online marketplace. It
at work developing), it wouldn’t biggest: involved design, testing, physical
be so taboo. prototypes, materials,
“There has been such a
EOB: How has the disabled manufacturing, shipping and
(and non-disabled) lack of sexual meeting of regulatory standards,
communities responded to education on disabled to name a few. There are far
your company and vision? sex, so people keep more hurdles standing in the way
Heather: The response from the repeating the same of a hardware business than
there is for software. We are still
disabled community from the myths about sex and in the process of navigating
outset has been very positive and disability over and over these. However, we have an
encouraging. We receive many again.” amazing team of advisors,
emails of people thanking us for advocates and partners helping
the work that we’ve done, and - Sex sells, but not on Instagram us every step of the way.
many more asking us how to be & Facebook - Most companies
a part of what we’re building or have the ability to market to their EOB: What are some of the
giving us suggestions and audiences through paid social myths about sex and people
recommendations to make it media channels. Unfortunately with disabilities that you want
stronger. We’re very much Facebook (and therefore to dispel?
guided by the community and Instagram) have extremely Andrew: Some of the myths I'd
are so incredibly humbled to be prudish and strict policies when like to dispel are:
it comes to sexual content. They
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