Pages

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Missing the mark(et)

Over this past week I've talked to about a dozen friends and acquaintances who have disabilities. Most of our conversations were about how we're spending time researching and tracking down what we need so that we can find affordable solutions for disability products. The high price of gas and food is squeezing the disability community into finding solutions that are more in line with mainstreamed products at lower prices as a practical solution.

The products we need aren't dissimilar to ones needed by others in some instances. Now there are products for seniors that weren't sold years ago so cheaply. They're marketed to older people, and cost less than items sold especially to a disabled market. The minute an item is sold as a disability device, the price is higher. And there is a group of us looking around saying that we just don't want to play that game. We're finding ways around it- and in the process saving ourselves a lot of time, money and aggravation.

Searching for items that are mainstreamed has many advantages. There are lower prices, it's easier to test products out, and you have more choices. It's easier to get service on the items you buy, with quicker repairs.

Basically it's about being treated like a consumer rather than a patient.


[via Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition without editing]

2 comments:

Greg (Accessible Hunter) said...

Great post!

Anonymous said...

I can relate to what you're saying. Who's the loser when we don't buy their product at all given the higher prices and lack of choice? Not us.