As a little person, sex educator Marylou Naccarato knows better than most that when sex and disability are part of your daily equation, thinking outside the box becomes essential — especially the sex-toy box. “Accessories — often those designed for BDSM activity — can have alternative uses,” she explains. “People think straps and swings are just for bondage, but for those with limited mobility, it’s great to have a strap around your ankle or arm, something that can help you or your partner position your body where you need it, to get leverage.”
Years of experience culling together such products, along with a little accidental fortune borne of carnal curiosity, sparked an inspiration to move into the realm of product design. It started with a pretty, little Japanese-style table in her boyfriend’s home.
“I looked at it and started thinking, Dang, I wonder if we could fuck on that thing?” she laughs. “Reason being is because it can be hard for me — as it is for many people — to be on top.” On a flat mattress, she explains, it’s often hard for little people to bend their knees. Thanks to hip-replacement surgery she had about ten years back, straddling is a non-issue. “But being on top is another challenge. And many of us want to be on top,” she laughs, “for various, wonderful reasons.”
Having this table, this narrow bench, she realized, she could stand with her legs on either side, “Like I was going to sit on a horse – and he could lie on it.” They gave it a try. “And it was magical,” she says. “And we used it. A lot.”
Personal Activity Lounge
Naccarato improved their new accessory with cushioning (a folded towel). “What I found was that in sitting on it like a horse, there was no pressure on my arms or knees. I could bounce up and down as I pleased. And even more importantly, he wasn’t uncomfortable because I wasn’t simply sitting on him. My weight was redistributed to my feet and hips… And of course, it freed his hands up to touch me where he liked while I controlled the penetration. We made up all kinds of positions!”
But in the end, it was still a table.
“It was good, but not perfect,” she says, “because it wasn’t really designed for that.”
Years of experience culling together such products, along with a little accidental fortune borne of carnal curiosity, sparked an inspiration to move into the realm of product design. It started with a pretty, little Japanese-style table in her boyfriend’s home.
“I looked at it and started thinking, Dang, I wonder if we could fuck on that thing?” she laughs. “Reason being is because it can be hard for me — as it is for many people — to be on top.” On a flat mattress, she explains, it’s often hard for little people to bend their knees. Thanks to hip-replacement surgery she had about ten years back, straddling is a non-issue. “But being on top is another challenge. And many of us want to be on top,” she laughs, “for various, wonderful reasons.”
Having this table, this narrow bench, she realized, she could stand with her legs on either side, “Like I was going to sit on a horse – and he could lie on it.” They gave it a try. “And it was magical,” she says. “And we used it. A lot.”
Naccarato improved their new accessory with cushioning (a folded towel). “What I found was that in sitting on it like a horse, there was no pressure on my arms or knees. I could bounce up and down as I pleased. And even more importantly, he wasn’t uncomfortable because I wasn’t simply sitting on him. My weight was redistributed to my feet and hips… And of course, it freed his hands up to touch me where he liked while I controlled the penetration. We made up all kinds of positions!”
But in the end, it was still a table.
“It was good, but not perfect,” she says, “because it wasn’t really designed for that.”
nice review
Your article Good Things Come in Little Packages is amazing! It's so inspiring to me. I'm also differently applied though not in the same way. Marylou Naccrato is an inspiration to us all!