As part of our advocacy, #OneAccessibility, we will share information about differently able and profile one location with accessible trails. Look out every week for this enlightening post.
Can you remember your last shopping experience? How was the process of going to the fitting room and trying on clothes? What is your experience of getting dressed general? Fairly easy, I bet or rather, may you have not put much thought into this. This may be the case for some, but for others, trying to get dressed in the morning or even finding good clothing can be a big challenge when you are a person with disabilities (PwD) or an elderly.
Imagine an individual with Parkinson’s disease who cannot get dressed independently or someone using a wheelchair in need of seamless clothing. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a long-term deteriorative disorder of the central nervous system. PD mainly affects the motor system, hence why the first symptoms are problems with movement. This is why adaptable clothing and accessories are crucial, and many major companies are taking note.
Elastic Waistbands
There are a percentage of individuals that are not able to manipulate closures while getting dressed. In such cases, materials like and clothing with elastic waistbands – without buttons or zippers – will be highly useful. An elastic waistband is a strip of material which is sewn to a clothing which encircles the waist. The elastic is first sewn onto the seam allowance of the main fabric, then fully enclosed with the remaining fabric, and finally secured with a “stitch in the ditch”. Elastic waistbands are seen as adaptive clothing the following reasons:
— Clothing with elastic bands often have no pressure points.
— They offer enhanced comfort.
— They have little to no closure and easy assisted dressing.
Clothing with elastic waistbands are not only great for PwDs, but they are also inclusive for individuals with weight fluctuation like pregnant women who may find discomfort in other materials.
Wearing Elastic Trousers
-1- Individual remains in a seated or standing position.
-2- Individual inserts legs into trouser legs and draws up to the upper thigh. If individual is receiving assistance, the caregiver inserts the individual’s legs into the trouser leg.
-3- Individual pulls up the band into place. If individual is receiving assistance, the caregiver pulls the trouser into place either over or under the individual’s top.
If the individual is seated, he or she does not have to move positions to wear clothing. The same applies if the individual is standing.
In recent times, there has been an increase rate of designers and retailers solving the issue of accessibility by offering a wider range of clothing options. Nearly a decade ago, adaptive clothing were custom-made to the individual or very expensive but now retailers are making such wears more affordable. Do you have any clothing with elastic waistband in your closet? Share them below!
If you have a question, suggestion or contribution, feel free to comment below. You can read last week’s roundup clicking here, and check the list of our other articles under “Accessibility Uncovered”.
my friends.