Designing for All Abilities

I'm surprised the article didn't include photo's of the clothing items on the people they were designed for.

This is awesome! Keep up the good work, Parsons!

To me, this reporting is a welcome breath of fresh air in the midst of all sorts of depressing news. I regained a sense of hope after reading it. Thank you.

Please could you make me a hat to wear with hearing aids that does not middle sound or give me an earache.

Empathy can lead to innovative solutions for those who deserve as much as the other.

What a fabulous direction for design. Please continue this great work, Parsons. This is truly a rich vein to mine.

Thank you so much I have a sister who could use some excellent design and a mother with dementia who could use some.

Universal Design is a great idea for clothing, but let's not stop there. With 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day, public accommodations, government buildings, mass transportation, communications, computers & electronics, workplaces, stores, our homes, apartments, cars, appliances & other items we use daily such as eating & cooking utensils, pens, etc. need to be accessible. Although there is specialized equipment available for people with disabilities, it is very expensive & Medicare/health insurance won't pay for it. Let's adopt a much broader view of design, where EVERYTHING is designed with EVERYONE in mind! Inclusive design is a no-cost way to promote an inclusive society. Remember, eventually, all of us will become senior citizens! The need is there, & with an aging world population, so is the economic demand.

Congratulations to the New York Times for running this and other articles on services for disabled people. The weekly article on disabilities is an example of excellent journalism where the Times has done itself proud.

Having a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from 1968, I spent 32 years working with all disabilities with a special emphasis on mental health.

Retiring to Provence in 2003 was an eye opener for how behind France is on serving disabled people including accessibility. Belgium took the lead on developing disabled services in the 1960's and to this day French citizens who need disabled services are shipped out to programs through out Belgium.

The struggle to enlighten the able bodied world about disabilities never ends!

I am so moved and thrilled by this story. So much is taken for granted. We need more thinking like this in this world. Thank you, Grace Jun, for recognizing this need, thank you Parsons and Parsons students for rising to the challenge, and thank you NYT for providing coverage for this wonderful and much-needed initiative.

It would be great for them to work with an occupational therapist at a rehabilitation facility - dressing/undressing are core elements of their teaching people how to get along after a stroke, spinal cord injury, etc.

Wonderful, simply wonderful, this is truly creative education.

This article assumes that all its readers are non-disabled. I don't have to imagine using a wheelchair--I'm sitting in one as I write this.

This sounds like an amazing project with great results. I, for one, would have loved to see more pictures of the designs.

What an amazing, powerful project! Way to go, Parsons!

I don't know how one could design socks easier to put on, but couldn't someone design a better device for helping? The two people I've known who tried to use the plastic trays with pull cords couldnt.

Fashion can be fun but it is also nonsense at times; this project could really come u p with solutions that would enhance the lives of people who may be from a little to a lot limited by injuries, diseases and aging. I've looked at some designs out there - there are some independent clothing designer/makers who offer more than pull-on pants.
I've never seen anyone incorporate a frame ( the boning or the rod) to hold garments in a way that makes them easier to put on. Great ideas.
This is a large population waiting to be served. It would be great if in some way the 3-D Printing could be used to do personalized fitting and cutting, eliminating a part of the process - and one which most in this situation couldn't afford.

Anyway, how inspired!