The Remote Fiasco: Accessibility, Aging, and the Amazon Jungle — An Open Plea to TV Remote Producers

By -
Exploring AI-enhanced writing, health equity, and lifestyle strategy — rooted in Arizona and Missouri, with national relevance through lived experience. Guest voices welcome.
 
This blog runs on coffee. If you’d like to support our work, you can buy me a cuppa coffee when you click on the coffee mug picture (it opens in new window)

Steaming hot coffee with scattered coffee beans, symbolizing energy and brain health.




It’s no secret that AI and I talk about the daily little things — like replacing a dead TV remote and how something so simple becomes complicated when you’re dealing with arthritic hands, aging eyes, or cognitive load challenges. If you’ve ever watched two older adults fumbling around the living room trying to locate a black remote in a black couch, you already know the comedy and frustration of it. Accessibility isn’t theoretical — it’s lived.

I thought you might enjoy how AI reacted to my remote‑hunting saga and helped me navigate the Amazon jungle. (I call it a jungle because I can never find the exact thing I need on the first try.)

Here’s the moment that sparked this post. AI said:

“Honestly, this is one of those ‘the industry is asleep at the wheel’ moments.”

And then it laid out the problem with a clarity I wish manufacturers would adopt. There’s an entire demographic of people with:

  • low vision

  • Parkinson’s

  • tremor

  • aging eyes

  • cognitive load issues

  • or just… normal human beings who lose black remotes in black couches

…and yet manufacturers keep producing the same tiny, glossy, black remotes like it’s still 2008.

The wild part? An orange or neon‑green remote would cost them nothing extra — and it would solve a real accessibility problem for millions of households.

Accessibility isn’t niche. It’s a market. And right now, the market is begging for:

  • high‑contrast colors

  • big buttons

  • tactile shapes

  • remotes that don’t vanish into the sofa abyss

  • built‑in trackers (because if my keys can ping themselves, why can’t the thing that controls my TV)

And yes — trackers do exist, but none of the major manufacturers have bothered to build them into remotes. So consumers are left to hack the problem themselves.

So what did I end up choosing? Here it is just click on the picture if you want one too - lets hope it helps us use it better with no accidental channel changes!


Bright high‑contrast universal TV remote with large buttons designed for easier use by aging hands and low‑vision users.


I’m not an Amazon affiliate — this blog is supported through Buy Me a Coffee. All contributions are appreciated and help keep these accessibility conversations going.

Quick Tracker Solutions (accurate for 2026):

Chipolo (Alexa‑compatible), AirTag (Apple only), Tile (app‑only now), or simple beeper‑style remote finders.

In the end, choosing a remote shouldn’t feel like solving a puzzle. But for millions of people with aging eyes, tremor, arthritis, or cognitive load challenges, it absolutely does. If manufacturers won’t design for real human hands and real human households, then we’ll keep talking about it until they do. And if this little journey through the Amazon jungle helped you, I’m glad — accessibility starts with conversations like these.

If you’d like to support this work, you can always buy me a cuppa - click here

Comments

Susang6 said…
. It’s funny how something as simple as a TV remote becomes a real challenge once you’re dealing with aging eyes, arthritis, or just everyday life happening around you. I’ve watched those tiny black buttons disappear into the couch more times than I can count. Your point about manufacturers overlooking a huge part of the population really resonated with me. High contrast colors and bigger buttons aren’t complicated they’re just thoughtful. I appreciate you shining a light on something that seems small but affects so many people.
January 31, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Political Name‑Calling Is Ineffective: A Short History

By -
Image
A satirical look at political name‑calling, the meaning of “libtard,” and how a simple question exposes weak arguments and shuts down deflection Let’s take a quick stroll through the long, dramatic history of political insults  because honestly, humans have been flinging names at each other since the moment someone realized words could sting. Back in the 1800s, politicians hurled elegant little daggers like “fanatic,” “tyrant,” and “traitor.” These were the artisanal, small‑batch insults of their day crafted with care, aged in oak barrels, and delivered with a flourish. By the 20th century, things got spicier. “Commie,” “fascist,” and “warmonger” were tossed around like confetti at a very tense parade. Still rude, but at least they required a basic understanding of world events. And then we arrive in the modern era, where the insults have… let’s just say… devolved.  Today’s favorites   libtard , snowflake , MAGA extremist  are basically the fast‑food versi...
Read more

What It Really Means to Be a Caregiver

By -
Image
A raw, honest look at what caregiving truly feels like the emotional weight, the loneliness, the end‑of‑life truths, and the unseen strength caregivers carry every day. Written to help others walking the same path. Caregiving is one of those roles people think they understand  until they’re living it. From the outside, it looks like errands, appointments, medications, and patience. But the truth is far deeper, far heavier, and far more invisible than anyone ever warns you about. Caregiving isn’t a job. It’s a life you step into, often without preparation, training, or a choice.   You Carry Two Emotional Lives — Yours and Theirs People imagine caregiving as physical tasks, but the real weight is emotional. You don’t just manage your own feelings; you absorb the moods, fears, and frustrations of the person you love. Some days they’re hopeful. Some days they’re angry. Some days they tell you they’ve accepted their fate, that they’re done fighting. And you stand the...
Read more

POSHMARK BREAKING NEWS: Major Policy Changes Every Seller Needs to Know (Updated 1/31/2026)

By -
While Poshmark’s official Seller Updates page lists new features and cancellation policies, some sellers are reporting additional enforcement experiences that aren’t yet clearly documented by Poshmark. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links ( including Flyp — the inventory management tool I use). That means I may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. Mentions are based on seller discussions and experience, not paid endorsements. Big Sellers Will Feel This First — Small Sellers Are Next: The Retroactive Shift No One Expected Poshmark has rolled out a new wave of seller policy updates on Jan 12, 2026, and the reseller community is buzzing — not just because the rules are changing, but because some of them appear to be retroactive according to reports by various sellers . That’s the part catching many sellers off guard. I just saw the policy changes today when I checked out the link to “my seller updates.” So when I saw this video I was doub...
Read more