Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey about accessible clothing that I carried out last summer. The full report has now been published and is available here until 8 May: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1inbo3QUujy7uJ. After this date, you can email me at Sheila@SheilaClothesWheels.com to request the full version.
The survey findings
The survey asked questions about the clothes that people with restricted mobility found easier to wear and what they wanted from their clothes. 85% of respondents used a wheelchair and the survey revealed interesting findings, such as:
- Almost everyone could wear trousers with an elasticated waist. Some people could manage a fly-front zip, but very few people could cope with side fastening trousers.
- Trouser pockets are often in the wrong place, uncomfortable, and inaccessible if items fall out of them.
- While nearly half of respondents could fasten/unfasten front buttons/zips, three quarters couldn’t manage shoulder buttons and only a quarter could sort out a collar or hood on a jacket or sweater.
- Only 23% of respondents could find shorts that were comfortable to wear in a wheelchair.
- The survey also asked about people’s experiences of shopping and found that many people find the process so difficult = they always buy clothes online. Only 12% of respondents easily used store changing rooms and 64% said they found ’disabled’ changing rooms inaccessible.
It is difficult, frustrating, expensive, time consuming. I hate clothes shopping.
What’s next?
The most interesting part of the results was the strong feelings people have about clothes and the difficulties they encounter in finding practical clothes that enable them to present themselves positively to the world. There are some specialist clothing companies, but many respondents wanted to be able to buy practical, fashionable clothes from mainstream retailers. Many of them also wanted to be able to visit a shop, move around to look at clothes, and try them on in store - something that most people take for granted.
There are clear lessons and opportunities for the fashion industry here, recognising there are about 1.2 million people in the UK who use wheelchairs. I have created and tested a short workshop for fashion designers to understand some of the practicalities of living in a wheelchair. I’m planning to approach some of the big retailers to suggest training for their design teams, along with the other recommendations at the end of my paper.
This survey came about from my Higher National Diploma in Fashion and Footwear Design at Leicester College. Most of the tutors have previously worked in the fashion industry as designers, buyers and merchandisers, so have given me suggestions and leads into the industry. Leicester College also enabled me to pilot my workshop about the practicalities of living in a wheelchair and invited me to be part of a panel assessing designs by BTEC students, including accessible clothing.
Make them look like regular clothes, we are not all senior citizens.