Kalshoven
Study on how everyday clothing could be made fashionable and easy to wear for people who use wheelchairs.
Study date
2010
I was responsible for
Co-creation
Medical device design
Soft goods design
Understand the problem
Mobility restrictions impact how we dress ourselves
We studied people with 3 types of spinal cord injuries to understand some of the motor and sensory impairments they experience and what that means for day-to-day activities like getting dressed.
- Quadriplegia usually results in lost function from the neck down including all 4 limbs.
- Thoratic paraplegia usually results in loss of motor or sensory function from waist down, including abdominal muscles. The person still has use of their neck, arms and hands.
- Lumbar paraplegia usually results in lost function of legs. The person still has control and use of their upper body.
Most clothing designs do not consider the needs of people with motor and sensory restrictions, making it difficult for them to wear.
For this study, we focused on people with thoratic and lumbar paraplegia.
Our co-creator shared her barriers to daily living
Her experiences and expertise helped guide us on how we could solve problems.
What we heard
Putting pants on the bed
Some people have to place clothing on the bed before sleeping in order to get dressed.
Taking pants on and off is a challenge
You often have to slide back and forth while lifting yourself up.
Preference between sitting or laying down
Some people prefer putting clothes on their beds and some prefer sitting down.
Long coats create bulk
In a sitting position, long coats don’t hold its intended shape, causing more effort to straighten the coat.
Hand protectors don’t match with everyday wear
Gloves designed for wheelchair users are often utilitarian and not fashionable.
Wrists often get dirty
Gloves or hand protectors are usually worn to avoid getting your hands dirty.
Design process
We explored construction methods, made patterns, and repurposed from existing clothing. Note that we are not fashion designers by trade so we had to be creative in our approach.
Pants
Coat
Hand protection
Concept
Steps
1. Secure pants on wheelchair
2. Slide to wheelchair
3. Slide legs into pants
4. Zip trousers on the sides
5. Put on coat
6. Attach removable flaps
7. Put on hand wrap
8. Ready to go
Product features
Attachable loops to secure on wheelchair
This allows the user to sit down on the pants without the material shifting around much.
Hidden zippers where fold lines are usually present
The feet are placed into the pants then zipped up.
Clothing conforms to body
The construction of the coat lays flat to the body. There’s also a detachable panel to make your coat longer if desired.
Hand wrap can be worn with or without gloves
Designed to protect your wrist from getting dirty. The hand wrap is adjustable with hook and loop to conform with multiple sizes.
Product shots
Mentions
2010
