Written by Mara Anselm

Fashion is an important aspect of human expression, but for a long time, high-fashion was only accessible to a select group of people. Recently, the fashion industry has made progress to become more inclusive of plus-size people, and people of color. However, the industry is still ableist and excludes a large group of people. According to the 2010 United States census, 56.7 million Americans were disabled and that number has, without a doubt, grown since. There is a clear and shameful lack of representation of disabled individuals in the fashion industry.

Many people with disabilities need specially-made clothing in order to live comfortably. This clothing is referred to by many names, including adaptive, accessible, and inclusive fashion. Adaptive clothing was first made in the 1980s for one purpose and one purpose only: to allow people with disabilities to get dressed with ease and stay comfortable throughout the day. Adaptive clothing wasn’t taken seriously until mainstream brands like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger came out with adaptive clothing lines. Today, accessible clothing means magnetic closures for people with Parkinson’s, one-handed zippers for people with amputations, pants specifically tailored for people using wheelchairs. Accessible clothing means comfort and style for those who wouldn’t have had it 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, accessible clothing is difficult to buy in stores. A quick Google search for “adaptive clothing near me” yields nothing. This lack of access prevents many people from fully expressing themselves with their style in the way that those of us without disabilities take for granted. Adaptive clothes help people feel comfortable and independent, and it’s truly shameful how few people have access to them.

This lack of accessible clothing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ableism in the fashion industry. There is little to no disabled representation, from designers to models, creating insecurity in people with disabilities. Similarly, this happens when it comes to race and body type. People look at the standard in fashion: thin, white, perfect skin and hair, and they start to wonder if they’re good enough. This can be toxic and damaging, especially to young people who haven’t had time to grow their confidence and be happy with who they are. Fashion has recently become more inclusive in terms of race and body type, but the industry still has a long way to go when it comes to ableism.

Representation in the fashion industry is important for the normalization and acceptance of different body types. In an interview with Who What Wear, model Madeline Stuart, who has Down Syndrome, said “[Representation] means that on every catwalk, you see a reflection of what our society really looks like. In every magazine, you see people with disabilities. In every textbook at school and every children’s storybook, you see people with disabilities so the younger generation grows up with it and knows how to relate.”

Fashion is meant to make people feel beautiful and confident, but it fails to reach nearly 20% of the population. Model and singer Marsha Elle, who’s an above-the-knee amputee, said, “We can combat ableism by hiring disabled models—creating roles for them so that disabled people are seen. Seeing disabled representation gives hope to our community. Seeing disabled representation at the forefront of magazines, TV, and campaigns, etc., forces ableists to look introspectively and dismantle their oppressive thinking.”

Functional Fashion: How the fashion industry fails the disabled community