Hack-Ability: Using Co-Design to Develop an Accessible Toolkit for Adding Pockets to Garments

Abstract

Fashion brands have started to include adaptive lines for individuals with dressing challenges, but they are often expensive, and are not always suited to an individual's personal style or functional needs. To help with this we have co-designed a toolkit with collaborators with mobility disabilities so that they can alter their own garments or off-the-rack garments with accessible tools. In this paper we describe the co-design process for a stitch-less pocket adaptation and the tools and stencils that were developed with 9 collaborators as part of the Open Style Lab program. We discuss how our collaborators designed their garment adaptations to reflect their own style, all while using the same set of accessible stencils and tools.