Adaptive clothing is a term that is used quite widely in the professional world, however, not too many people outside of this world of technical jargon know exactly what it is. For a lot of cases, even users of adaptive clothing may not even be familiar with the term. Perhaps you’ve heard of disability-friendly clothing or disability-inclusive clothing? These are all essentially the same thing!
So then, what exactly is adaptive clothing?
Adaptive clothing has been specifically designed to accommodate for the needs of those who have physical disabilities, the frail and elderly who may experience difficulty dressing/undressing themselves. This may be due to an inability to manipulate closures, such as buttons and zippers, or a lack of a full range of motion required for self-dressing.
Disability-friendly clothing is a way of providing clothing which not only looks and feels great but is simple to put-on, take-off and wear. The idea is to find an option which will ‘adapt’ to your body type and not get in the way of you performing daily tasks within your capabilities.
Some examples of adaptive clothing can be seen in open back nighties/nightshirts. This type of bedtime attire is perfect for someone who has recently had shoulder surgery. It removes the need of extending the arm in order to get dressed/undressed. For suffers of autism (or those who are on the spectrum), there are some fantastic compression clothing options available. Dignity suits are also a great option for wanderers or those who disrobe.
Who can benefit from adaptive clothing?
The great thing about adaptive clothing is that it can be tailored to suit an entire range of people, ages, genders and disabilities. Disabilities don’t discriminate, and we therefore believe our clothing shouldn’t either. For this reason, we love to provide clothing options that assist someone in some way that has a disability or ailment.
Why is adaptive clothing so important?
Whether we realise this or not, a large part of the way we express ourselves is through our choice of clothing. What we often wear can be associated with intrinsic emotions such as how we’re feeling and whether or not we’re comfortable in what’s covering our body. When choosing our clothing options, many of us are at liberty to select something that reflects our mood or state. Up until recent times, this wasn’t the same for someone with a disability. Fortunately though, a lot of research, design and time has gone into making suitable clothing options that won’t hinder or restrict what we can wear. Instead, this type of clothing option is aimed at providing variety, style and comfort to the wearer.
What are the other benefits?
- Decreased need for making large joint movements which leads to reduced pain
- More efficient way to dress which means more time to enjoy your day
- External assistance may be minimal to none, depending on the restriction
- Benefits both low and high care clients
- Clothes can easily be put-on whilst either lying down or standing
- More freedom when it comes to selecting clothing styles
- Clothing lasts longer and is easier to maintain
- The side opening trousers and open back trousers allow for ease of dressing
- High-quality clothing, which means it responds well to intense washing temperatures and cleaning practices
- Higher self-esteem levels by being able to choose something that you’d like to wear – not just wearing it because there’s no other option
More information?
To learn more about how adaptive clothing can benefit either yourself or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team at Caring Clothing today. At Caring Clothing, we are an official NDIS provider, which means the adaptive clothing we distribute is completely funded under Consumables. This essentially means that all eligible NDIS participants have an opportunity to receive the clothing free of charge. Be sure to ask our team exactly how this process would work. You may contact us on 1300 365 504 or leave us an enquiry HERE.