Move to bring adaptive clothes for disabled

For Shalini Visakan, a fashion Designer for PwDs, it was one call for the family, too. She was driven equally by her intend to help her husband, a polio survivor, as much it was to improve the plight of the others.

She decided to use her sartorial and design skills to create adaptive and accessible clothing – all of which will be displayed in a fashion show in the city on Sunday.

“People working with my husband or meeting him daily are unsure of how to assist him. In their effort to help such people, they end up causing a dislocation of the knees or shoulders of the PwDs. As a result, I designed pants with extra fabric that can be used as handles,” she said.

She said that those assisting PwDs off the wheelchair can hold the handles and lift them easily. “Besides, my husband and I also realised that using public restrooms is a great challenge. I then decided to make the clothes that will accommodate their needs,” she added.

While such clothes help solve 40 per cent of the problems, it also helps them stay in style. “A friend’s mother – who is also on a wheelchair – is comfortable wearing only nighties. However, she was not allowed into a temple because of her attire. I, therefore, designed a one-piece saree for her, which is easy to wear. In the same way, we make two-piece sarees as well, for those who prefer wearing blouses separately,” she stated.

Shalini has designed a vast variety of fashionable clothes for PwDs. “I also designed long gowns with a zip till the bottom and shirts with velcro. I ensure that these clothes do not look any different from regular clothes,” she added.