FASHION FOR CAUSE

ADAPTIVE CLOTHING

DISABILITIES A disability is defined as a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or group. The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment mental illness, and various types of chronic disease.

- Vision - Hearing - Thinking - Learning - Movement - Mental health - Remembering - Communicating - Social relationships The World Health Organization (WHO) published the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in 2001 that covers; - Activity - Participation - Body Structures - Body Functions - Personal Factors - Health Conditions - Activity Limitations - Functional Limitations - Environmental Factors - Participation Restrictions Disabilities can affect people in different ways, even when one person has the same type of disability as another person. Some disabilities may be hidden, known as invisible disability. There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person's:

Mobility and Physical Impairments This category of disability includes people with varying types of physical disabilities including: Upper limb(s) disability Lower limb(s) disability Manual dexterity Disability in co-ordination with different organs of the body. Disability in mobility can be either an in-born or acquired with age problem. It could also be the effect of a disease. People who have a broken bone also fall into this category of disability.

Head Injuries - Brain Disability A disability in the brain occurs due to a brain injury. The magnitude of the brain injury can range from mild, moderate and severe. There are two types of brain injuries: Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ABI is not a hereditary type defect but is the degeneration that occurs after birth. The causes of such cases of injury are many and are mainly because of external forces applied to the body parts. TBI results in emotional dysfunctioning and behavioral disturbance.

Vision Disability There are hundreds of thousands of people that have minor to various serious vision disability or impairments. These injuries can also result into some serious problems or diseases like blindness and ocular trauma, to name a few.

Some of the common vision impairment includes scratched cornea, scratches on the sclera, diabetes related eye conditions, dry eyes and corneal graft.

Hearing Disability Hearing disabilities includes people that are completely or partially deaf, (Deaf is the politically correct term for a person with hearing impairment). People who are partially deaf can often use hearing aids to assist their hearing. Deafness can be evident at birth or occur later in life from several biologic causes, for example Meningitis can damage the auditory nerve or the cochlea.

Deaf people use sign language as a means of communication. Hundreds of sign languages are in use around the world. In linguistic terms, sign languages are as rich and complex as any oral language, despite the common misconception that they are not "real languages".

Whast Is Adaptive CLothing ?

Most of us don’t think a whole lot about getting dressed. Sure, we might care about our style, but the actual process of putting on clothes pants one leg at a time, button through the button hole is as automatic as breathing.

But imagine you only have one arm. How do you button your shirt now?

What if you receive nutrition through a feeding tube implanted in your stomach?

Wearing that cute dress means you can’t eat in public, lest you flash everyone in the room. Think about what the tight waistband of your jeans might feel like if you were autistic and had magnified sensitivity to touch.

For years, people with disabilities and special needs have had to improvise. Those with cerebral palsy that affected their hand coordination might replace sleeve buttons with Velcro. Parents of autistic kids would cut the scratchy tags out of their children’s t-shirts. But now, a slew of companies both new and established are creating “adaptive clothing” to meet these needs.

Solutions

Difficulties

It can also pose problems for careers who dress their patients. Adaptive clothing provides a solution for this problem and depending on the design can make things easier for both the person being dressed and the person dressing them.

Some adaptive clothing is created specifically to make it easier for the person with the disability to dress themselves, for example using Velcro in place of buttons or zippers. For those who rely on help getting dressed and undressed, adaptive clothing very often fastens at the rear.

Development in Adaptive Clothing Development : Several companies have developed lines of clothing that are designed to be put on and removed while seated or lying down and to provide some measure of independence for the user who is able to dress themselves.

Women's Wear - Women's dresses, tops and blouses that are open at the back with large flaps and close at the shoulders - Bras with front closures using hooks, snaps or VELCRO® - Women's underwear that closes at the sides using Quick Strip closures and pull tabs to unfasten - Women's pants that close at the sides using VELCRO® brand fasteners - Socks with pull loops and non-slip soles - Shoes and slippers with hook and loop closures and non-slip soles

Men's Wear - Men's dress shirts with magnetic closures instead of buttons - Men's Polo, Tee & Undershirts that are open at the back with large flaps and close at the shoulders - Cardigans with snap back dome closures - Men's underwear that closes at the sides using Quick Strip closures and pull tabs to unfasten - Men's pants that close at the sides using VELCRO® brand fasteners - Socks with pull loops and non-slip soles - Shoes and slippers with hook and loop closures and non-slip soles

Clothing Modification According to Addaption

One of the common adaptations in clothing for wheelchair users is a longer rise in the back of trousers to allow for more comfort. Adaptive trousers and skirts will generally have elasticated waists for ease and comfort, and fabric is often stretchy.

In addition to making getting dressed and undressed easier and more comfortable, there are specific adaptations for certain conditions.

For example, one of the challenges of advanced Alzheimer’s disease is the fact that patients often take their clothes off at inappropriate times.

For patients who have illnesses that affect their ability to bend their joints, for example, Arthritis, adaptive clothing will have an opening all the way down the back that makes it easy to put on from the front without having to bend limbs.

Tommy Hilfiger (Adaptive Clothing)

Luckily, there is one mainstream designer who is actually doing something to help make fashion more inclusive. In 2016, Tommy Hilfiger worked with Runway of Dreams, a nonprofit that aims to make fashion more accessible for people with disabilities, to launch an adaptive clothing line for children with disabilities. That project was the first of its kind from a major fashion label. Hilfiger’s adaptive clothing which features modified details like magnetic buttons, adjustable hems, and bungee cord and Velcro-brand closures — now includes apparel for men and women as well.

"Inclusivity and the democratization of fashion have always been at the core of my brand's DNA," Hilfiger previously said in a statement to CNN. "These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion."

ABL DENIM

ABL DENIM MAKES JEANS FOR PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY OR DEXTERITY AND SENSORY PROCESSING ISSUES. FASHION AND FUNCTION FOR MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN.

The company caters to a niche market that represents 56 million Americans. People of all ages can find dressing difficult due to a variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, autism, tactile sensitivities and arthritis.

Whatever their condition, says Alves, "they still want jeans, like everyone else."

For people with such challenges, ABL Denim designs jeans and shorts using premium quality denim and then incorporates features that make them easier and more comfortable to use, including: zipper access through either the front or both sides; longer zippers with larger pulls for greater access; hook and bar easy front closure; higher back waists with elastic that allows for stretching across the back; side pockets for catheter bags or personal items; and ultra-soft denim material and inside-out seams to provide for added comfort for people with sensory issues. One of the most popular designs is a skinny basic jean with inner leg zippers to assist in getting the foot though the leg opening and/or using a catheter. The company plans new designs based on requests that it receives, so customer loyalty and satisfaction is high. This makes the work very fulfilling,

Launched by fashion designer Stephanie Alves in 2013, ABL Denim is an inclusive brand that provides apparel solutions for consumers with disabilities. Alves, whose resume includes stints at Ann Taylor Loft and Limited Too, was inspired to establish ABL Denim following a family members’ struggle to find adaptive and stylish apparel in the current market.

Easy Clousers

Magnatic Closure

Softer Fabric

ABL Denim is working to make fashion a more inclusive landscape with its adaptive apparel, including jeans.