Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier: Anpassungsfähige Kleidung baut Menschen mit Behinderung mental auf
Mindy Scheier is the founder of the Runway of Dreams Foundation. Prior to launching the nonprofit, Mindy spent over 20 years working in fashion as a key member of the design team for the INC collection and stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
thinking about what I'm going to wear
dann überlege ich,
the same way about fashion,
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
T-Shirt oder Jeans, die Sie verwandeln --
crazy-hair spirits together.
mit wildem Haar, dachte ich.
in der Modeindustrie
herzzerreißend ironisch sein.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
seltenen Form der Muskeldystrophie geboren
more challenging than most.
zu einer Herausforderung.
zur Stabilität tragen.
that was placed on his face.
die an seinem Gesicht befestigt war.
the very thing that I adore --
genau das, was ich liebe --
beeinträchtigt nicht seinen Verstand.
of his shortcomings.
intensiv wahrnimmt.
when he started school,
als er mit der Schule begann,
was a constant reminder
täglichen Erinnerung wurde,
to wear sweatpants every day:
jeden Tag eine Jogginghose trug:
he would wear proper pants.
richtige Hosen tragen.
the button and zipper,
dem Reißverschluss nicht zurecht kam,
to the men's room,
unglaublich peinlich war.
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
was ich nicht schon mal sah."
than I ever imagined.
als ich mir je vorstellen konnte.
and said very definitively
und sagte sehr bestimmt,
like everybody else gets to wear.
Jeans zur Schule tragen wird.
to class with him
mit ihm zum Unterricht
I was telling my eight-year-old
dass ich meinem Achtjährigen sage,
what he wanted to wear.
die Jeans zurecht.
während der Schwangerschaft,
my own favorite pants,
weiter anziehen wollte,
up and down on his own.
und runter ziehen konnte.
of the bottom of his pants
die Seitennähte auf,
peel and stick, mind you --
my arts and crafts project,
with his head held so high.
to the bathroom on his own;
into the world of adaptive clothing.
in die Welt anpassungsfähiger Kleidung.
designed for people with disabilities,
mit Behinderungen, Senioren
with dressing themselves.
sich allein anzuziehen.
fashion component.
Modetrend vorbeiging.
I've known this forever,
wusste ich das seit eh und je,
have a name for it.
haben einen Namen dafür.
of wearing the clothing,
wenn man Kleidung trägt.
to how you feel about yourself.
wie man über sich selbst denkt.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
namens Karen J. Pine.
"Mind What You Wear:
of what you're wearing,
those perfect-fitting jeans.
passende Jeans anzieht.
when you put on that power suit,
im Kampfanzug unbesiegbar
Oliver felt so isolated
what he wanted to wear.
wie ein Behinderter anziehe."
auf unserem Planeten,
experience clothing challenges,
Kleidungsprobleme haben,
that may not be as confident,
die nicht so selbstbewusst sind,
wie sie sein könnten.
wearing those jeans,
mit seinen Jeans zur Schule ging,
do something about that.
etwas ändern kann.
called Runway of Dreams.
namens Runway of Dreams.
the fashion industry
to mainstream clothing
so verändert werden könnte,
that has never been served.
year of research.
voller Forschung fing alles an.
I went to hospitals.
und ging in Krankenhäuser.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
Menschen in Rollstühlen,
going to make a difference,
the clothing challenges
Herausforderungen beim Kleiden
as I possibly could.
wie möglich verstehen.
who has cerebral palsy.
mit celebraler Bewegungsstörung.
"Kannst du dir das vorstellen?
to wear jeans on campus,
an der Uni Jeans zu tragen,
namens Gianna,
her left forearm and her hand.
und keine Hand hatte.
her daughter's difference magnified
dass der Unterschied ihrer Tochter
professionally tailored.
wurde daher maßgefertigt.
und die Kosten vorstellen?
and money she spent?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
Zeit mit Eric LeGrand zu verbringen,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
der 2010 beim Spiel gelähmt wurde.
seen some unfathomable things,
Unglaubliches gesehen,
was the most heart-stopping.
and a lifting machine
und einen Patientenlifter,
for over two hours.
über zwei Stunden zu.
Eric gegenüber ausdrückte,
a change in the industry,
how to make these clothes modified.
die Kleider zu verändern.
I gathered over that past year,
actually three categories
die immer betroffen waren.
were a challenge for almost everybody.
waren für alle herausfordernd.
with a more manageable technology:
mit etwas Handhabbarem aus:
able to wear jeans on campus,
Erstsemester zur Uni Jeans anziehen,
waren eine Herausforderung
different-shaped bodies.
a shirt right off the rack
von der Stange tragen
the clothing on and off the body,
die Kleidung an- und auszuziehen.
of over your head.
das man Arme zuerst überstreift.
off his dressing process
fünf Schritte weniger
ripped them apart,
und nahm sie auseinander
until I felt I had great modifications.
dass ich gute Anpassungen hatte.
für die Königsklasse:
zu entwerfen, musste ich
going to make a difference,
massenkompatibel werden.
to educate the industry
Bevölkerungsgruppe informieren
that the industry heard me.
dass die Industrie auf mich hörte.
with the most amazing,
mit der tollsten,
unseres Planeten zusammen --
adaptive collection.
anpassungsfähiger Kleidung anbot.
zu einer Lebensader.
what you're going to wear,
was Sie anziehen,
are going to break down over time.
bauen mit der Zeit ab.
devastating part for me.
der schlimmste Teil für mich.
und zusehen, wie mein Junge verfällt.
that I cannot control
die ich nicht beeinflussen kann
industry to look up.
den Blick zu heben.
den Blick zu heben.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mindy Scheier - Fashion designerMindy Scheier is the founder of the Runway of Dreams Foundation. Prior to launching the nonprofit, Mindy spent over 20 years working in fashion as a key member of the design team for the INC collection and stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Why you should listen
Mindy Scheier's career path took a new direction when her son Oliver, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy that causes physical disabilities, wanted to wear jeans to school like his friends. She used her background in design to adapt a pair that not only met his needs but increased his confidence. She soon realized that millions of people around the globe were also struggling to access fashionable clothing and went on to conduct extensive research and focus groups with people of all abilities to better understand the challenges faced by the community. She used her experience in fashion to develop modifications -- including magnetic closures, adjustability of waistbands, pant and sleeve lengths and alternative ways to get in and out of the clothing -- to meet a wide variety of needs within the differently-abled community. After pounding the fashion pavement, Runway of Dreams collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger on the first ever-mainstream adaptive clothing line for kids in Spring 2016.
Scheier's work with Runway of Dreams Foundation expands beyond adaptive clothing. Founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need, the Runway of Dreams Foundation develops, delivers and supports initiatives to broaden the reach of mainstream adaptive clothing and promote the differently-abled community in the fashion industry. Through adaptive clothing donations, employment opportunity initiatives, adaptive design workshops, awareness building campaigns and scholarships programs, the Runway of Dreams Foundation is empowering people with disabilities with opportunity, confidence, independence and style. Envisioning a world where fashion is mainstream and accessible for all, Scheier continues to break down barriers and challenge industry norms.
Mindy Scheier | Speaker | TED.com