Research and Industry Practices in Designing Clothes for Optimal Participation of Persons with a Physical Disability
Background: Clothing is important in human societies and could play a central role in optimizing participation of persons with physical disabilities. It is unclear whether the fashion industry understands the clothing needs of these individuals. Objectives: 1) Examine the role of clothing on participation of persons with physical disabilities, 2) Explore perspectives of representatives of the fashion industry vis à vis the literature and factors influencing uptake of this knowledge. Methodology: 1) A scoping review including six research databases, Google, and multiple expert consultations was performed. 2) Semi-structured interviews with fashion industry representatives were conducted. Results: 1) Fifty-seven articles and 88 websites were retrieved. Clothing-related issues impacting Mobility and Self-Care were frequently reported as were various personal factors. Forty-nine percent of articles reported essential clothing design features. 2) Five interviews found that acquiring knowledge for designing adapted clothing is important and time-, manufacturing-, marketing-, and purchasing-related barriers exist in the industry. Increased resources, exposure, guidance, and engagement within the fashion industry may help advance the field of adapted clothing. Conclusion: Clothing has a multidimensional influence on participation. Solidifying collaborations between researchers, clinicians, persons with disabilities, and the fashion industry may add credibility to future clothing designs.
Clothing Fashion Participation Rehabilitation Physical Disability