Adaptive clothing is quite simply any clothing that makes getting dressed and undressed easier for people with physical disabilities or sensory issues. It can be as simple as a pair of elasticated pants that are easy to pull on and off or have adjusters to make them easily change size or more complex clothing that ‘locks’ for Alzheimer’s patients to prevent undressing at inappropriate moments. For people with sensory issues, clothes that avoid zippers and buttons and replace them with Velcro or magnets can make a big difference.

Independent Brands Leading The Way

As is so often the case in the field of special needs, it tends to be family members who find solutions first, in response to their relative’s needs. Many items of adaptive clothing have been ‘invented’ by family members trying to solve problems.

We spoke to Stephanie Berry of SAGSStore (available on www.Etsy.com), who created her range of adaptive gloves and mittens when her husband had a stroke. With cold weather affecting his hands even more, making it impossible for him to open them out, Stephanie needed to find a solution. She created an easy open glove that solves the problem of ‘feeding’ fingers into the finger holes as it opens right over the main part of the hand (see the pictures below). Stephanie says, “My gloves work well for anyone suffering from hand paralysis or any other limiting hand function’.