Margaret Andersen

What excites you about your work?

TouchBot Pleasure Tech has been evolving for about two years, first as just an idea which moved into very rudimentary prototypes made from off-the-shelf parts that led to our current phase, a custom design system of tools and toys that we’re preparing to send to testers for feedback before opening our web shop.

One of the most exciting things about launching TouchBot has been getting to connect with more people from the disability community from all over the world. After working privately on this project for so long I'm thrilled to be able to share what we’ve made with others and learn from them as we grow.

What feels rich and abundant in your work right now?

The creative collaborations that make TouchBot possible have been such a rich source of abundance and inspiration. Brainstorming as a team while also reaching out to people in the disability community and the fields of sexuality and sex tech has been integral to our development as a brand and continues to guide our design process and decision-making.

“We think expansively about pleasure and the ways in which people access it, and we're dedicated to building inventive and playful tools that center the needs and desires of diverse bodies”

Who do you dedicate your work to?

I dedicate my work to anyone who has been tricked by ableism into believing that they are not worthy of joy or pleasure. There is so much stigma and shame around sex and pleasure in general and for people who identify as disabled, unlearning shame also means unlearning internalized ableism. I hope TouchBot can help to facilitate that unlearning while providing easier access to sexual expression and pleasure.

Who inspires you? Who are you learning from?

One of the most impactful learning experiences for me has been discovering the Bay-Area performance group Sins Invalid and the 10 principles of Disability Justice they developed. Disability Justice is a framework and practice for achieving collective liberation through collective action and connects us in solidarity to other liberation movements rooted in racial justice, reproductive justice, queer and trans liberation, fat liberation, prison abolition, and environmental justice.

I’ve also learned a great deal from educator and sexologist Bianca Laureano whose workshops and writing explore how Disability Justice challenges normative ideas around disability and sex. As for what I'm reading, I’ve been really enjoying Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, a series of essayettes that document his yearlong meditation on all the small joys and pleasures of daily life; things like strong coffee, nicknames, fruit from public trees, or feeling the sun on your skin through the windows while you’re still in bed. Truly a delight to read!

How can people reading this support the work you are doing?

Our sex toy design research survey is still accepting submissions and we’d love to continue to learn how our pleasure products can meet your individual access needs. If you'd like to participate, you can access the form on our website at https://touchbottech.com/.

You can also donate to our project at https://linktr.ee/hellotouchbot or share our story with friends IRL and on social media. Our social media handles on Instagram and Twitter is @hellotouchbot.

What something you didn’t know, that you now understand differently with wellness?

I think for years I equated wellness with fitness, and that was reinforced by a lot of ableist messaging from the health and wellness industry at large. I’ve grown to understand that the concept of wellness it’s a deeply personal experience that can exist beyond capitalism and the wellness-industrial complex, and finding what makes you feel good and brings you happiness is a radical act.

Sexual wellness can be a key component in our individual well-being, and my goal is to help remove the access barriers to pleasure for people who have found conventional sex toys inaccessible from both and physical and financial perspective.

What is your own wellness practice? How do you find balance?

As a freelance designer and journalist I rarely keep a 9-5 schedule, so my work hours often bleed into the evening or weekends, and that can lead to burnout. I've had to create boundaries with myself to not allow the expectations of grind culture consume my life, and to make time to do things that bring me joy like drawing just for fun, connecting with friends and my partner, or spending time in nature, even if it’s just a walk in my neighborhood or tending to my succulent garden on the patio.

Like so many of us, quarantine and the ongoing pandemic has forced me to relearn the ways in which we can experience intimacy and pleasure during times of isolation, so adopting an embodiment practice has helped me to engage more deeply with my own body, with others, and with the natural world.