Design and Product Development

Addressing Clothing Needs of Ability-Diverse Populations: Development of Guidelines for Designing Inclusive Apparel Products

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Abstract

Inclusive design features make apparel easier to use by everyone, regardless of their capabilities (Carroll & Gross, 2010). The purpose of this concept paper was to develop guidelines for designing inclusive apparel products that accommodate the clothing needs of ability-diverse populations. In this research, the Inclusive Apparel Design framework (Cho & Karpova, 2021) was applied, focusing on the three types of capabilities directly applicable to the use of apparel products: (a) reach, (b) dexterity, and (c) mobility. The guidelines for designing inclusive apparel were developed based on an extensive review of scholarly literature and an analysis of best industry practices. Our study focused on garments for the lower part of the body (down from the waistline), such as pants, shorts, and skirts. Applying these guidelines will extend garment usability to populations with different levels of reach, dexterity, and mobility, thus responding to diverse user needs.

Keywords: Adaptive Apparel, Design Guidelines, Inclusive Design, Universal Design, Ability-Diverse, People with Disabilities

How to Cite:

Cho, S., Karpova, E. E. & McKinney, E. C., (2022) “Addressing Clothing Needs of Ability-Diverse Populations: Development of Guidelines for Designing Inclusive Apparel Products”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.15876