Veronika Bondarenko
The warm plush of the Yeah Slides feel super soft while the open toe and back strap make for easy removal — they also come in fun colors such as bougainvillea, seashell pink and neon yellow. The slides, along with a series of other accessible footwear, are available on Zappos Adaptive, a corner within the online shoe retailer’s site catering to people with disabilities — “bump toe” shoes, for example, have an extra layer of protection around the toe for those who may hit the ground frequently when getting in and out of a wheelchair.
American Eagle expanded its offerings in early 2020 to include clothing for people with disabilities. Its Slick Chicks line of women’s underwear is designed with side fasteners that allow easier access for both people who spend large portions of the day seated as well as those who might rely on someone for assistance.
Stylish pants are one of the hardest items of clothing for people with mobility-related disabilities to find, Hill and Scheier both said. They both shared that a lot of what are known as seated pants — designed with lower pockets and fewer seams so as to not bunch up while the person stays seated — come in formless shapes and colors that are too loud or bright. These leggings look like your average chic black pants but have a tapered leg silhouette and side pockets that allow for more comfortable dressing and undressing.
Launched by Parsons design graduate and former Eileen Fisher employee Lucy Jones, Ffora (an anagram of Fashion For All) specializes in making stylish accessories for people who use wheelchairs — everything from bright wallets that hook onto mobility devices to accessible tumblers and wine glass holders. Every item is designed to be used both normally and hooked onto the lower tubes of a wheelchair with a special gold or silver metal attachment that is sold separately. The wallets and bags come with loops that catch onto the attachment as well as regular cross-body straps. While the set is more affordable, you can get each item on its own.
“We have to keep our product line very open-ended so that it can move on-the-go and adapt when the customer needs it to adapt,” Jones said.
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