Adaptive clothing and its importance. When I was initially injured back in 2005 there was no such thing as adaptive clothing. For years as an individual living with a spinal cord injury I struggled finding clothing that could fit me and would be easy for me to get on. As a paraplegic I do have full dexterity in my hands however I always thought about my quadriplegic counter parts, and the struggles they have sometimes with buttoning a shirt or zipping the fly section of their pants.

This led me to do some research on adaptive clothing and how universal design should be implemented in the fashion world. Clothing Brands sometimes fail to realize the power of clothing and how it can increase independence. Simple modifications such as magnets and Velcro are all that needed for a person to no longer have to depend on an aide or assistance in getting their attire on. This can be a huge self-esteem booster.

So to all the designers that are reading this next time when you are designing a shirt please think about your disabled consumers.