Fashion and People with Disabilities

In conjunction with the 25^th anniversary of the Americans withDisabilities Act, National Public Radio aired a story entitled “From Canes to Closures, Designing with Style for People with Disabilities” about creating accessibility tools that are functional and fashionable at the same time. 

This includes canes and clothing for people in wheelchairs.  For example, canes would not just be dull, physical objects.  Rather, in the same way as a purse reflects the personality of the person carrying it, a cane would do the same for the user.  

For people in wheelchairs, being able to put on their own clothes would relieve them of having to depend on others to perform this task for them, making them independent.  This capability has been developed at the Fashion Institute of Technology.  The next step is to bring it to the public.

I think all of these developments make perfect sense and would apply easily to people with epilepsy.  In particular, people with tonic and atonic (drop) seizures, who are prone to falling, need to wear helmets to protect themselves.  If the helmets could be less like helmets and more like stylish hats/headwear, and yet be just as protective, this would be ultimate achievement until a cure is found.

Resources

atonic (drop) seizures http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures/atonic-seizures

tonic seizures http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures/tonic-seizures