Affiliate links are in this post! That means that if you buy something using a link in my post, I’ll get a percentage of the profit from Amazon (thanks Jeff!), but you pay no more. It’s a great way to support the work I do, so thanks!
Amazon Prime Day is coming up, a day that Amazon has reserved for some special deals and savings. There is a lot going on. This post will point out some of the better deals for us (people with disabilities) and also for them (our kids with disabilities!). First things first though.
Details About Prime Day: Who, What, When
What is Prime Day? Prime Day is “Black Friday in July.” They will be discounting more than a million products, but – and this important – the products will not be discounted at the same time, and not for the whole day. Some of them will sell for certain hours, others will sell until they are sold out.
Why Amazon Prime fr People with Disabilities? Amazon Prime costs $120/year now, but it offers a lot to us across the disability community:
- free to-our-door food and grocery delivery
- Alexa – a voice-controlled assistant that can help those of us with mobility issues as well as the blind. You can tell Alexa to do just about anything (“Alexa, turn on the lights”). Echo is the speaker systems that you access Alexa through. Read more about it here.
- free trial of clothes that are shipped to our door
- Audible channels (used to cost $60/year, now free with Prime membership)
- free books, movies, games, music and photo storage
When is Prime Day? Prime Day starts at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) on Monday, July 16. It runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, July 17. For the UK and Australia, it will start at noon on July 16, run for 36 hours. Other countries will vary per country.
Who is it for? It’s technically for Prime Members only… but if you’ve never subscribed before, you can get a Amazon Prime Free One-Month Trail .If you sign up now, you will be able to shop Prime Day as a part of your one-month trial period.
EBT and Medicaid Card Holder’s Special Prime Membership
EBT and Medicaid card holders can get Prime for $5.99/month, half of what it costs without. YES! Find out more by clicking here.
Student Special Membership
If you are a student, take advantage of Prime’s partnership with Sprint and get the 6 month trial membership (and only $6.49/month after the trial expires).
Early Prime Day Deals
Prime Day is taking a page out of Black Friday and revealing sneak peaks at the deals that will be available on July 16. You need to download the Amazon App to see what’s being offered – just open it, and search “sneak peek” to see what is new.
Some of the best deals are:
Audible Deal
3 months of Audible for $4.95 per month – Audible subscription is normally $14.95 a month. Right now, Prime subscribers can get the first three months for $4.95 each. Nothing is being said on Amazon about the deal being for new subscribers only, so if you have subscribed in the past, you might be able to hop on board.
Weighted Blankets
12 Pound Weighted Blanket | $31 (normally $103) | Promo code KQOD5QGL
Echo Show
Echo Show for $130 – The Echo Show is Amazon’s screen-equipped smart-home companion and arguably one of the most useful things at Amazon for a person with limited mobility (or who is blind). It’s voice-controlled, and at $130, it’s $100 off the regular price, the biggest discount I’ve seen on this device, ever. Read more about Alexa here).
Amazon Grocery
Amazon Grocery could be a literal live-safer for people with chronic illnesses, mobility issues, etc.
Your food, delivered.
Kindle Paperwhite Deal
The Kindle Paperwhite will be on sale for $79.99 ($40 off): A solid, fantastic e-reader.
FreeTime Unlimited Deal
Amazon FreeTime for the Kids: Parents of kids with disabilities – or parents of kids without! We all know FreeTime rocks. Big savings here, with the 40%, year/plan.
Tablet Deals
Certified Refurbished HD 8 tablet for $40 (16GB): This tablet comes new for $80. At $40, it’s just the ticket for those of us who are on a budget and are looking for a solid option. Also perfect for parents, purchasing for kids.
Note: there are likely to be a ton of Amazon-brand products for sale on Prime Day, so keep your eyes peeled for HD10 and other devices that can be used with Alexa.
…and more….
Mountains of back-to-school deals, home appliances, furniture, STEM toys, office supplies and more are being rolled out in the sneak peeks. Some of this will be relevant to our community, but that’s going to depend on your disability and what you are looking for (if it’s even disability-specific). For me personally, I’m looking for furniture, so I’m going to stay tuned to what rolls out in the sneak peeks.
Get Notified By Amazon About Deals in What You Want
Head on over to the Amazon app on your phone. Search for “sneak peek” under Prime Day. Make sure your app notifications are turned on (you can always turn them back off later). Then tap the top left menu icon to open the app menu, then tap “settings,” then “notifications,” and enable “personalized notifications.”
That way Amazon will notify you if something that you have your eye on or have selected gets discounted.
Meriah Nichols is a counselor. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, she’s a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black.
