Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
میندی شاییەر: چۆن پۆشاکی دەستکاری کراو، هێز بە کەسانی خاوەن پێداویستی تایبەت دەدات
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
سەر جێگەكەم بیر دەكەمەوە
بۆ جل و بەرگ نەبێت،
the same way about fashion,
دوو كابۆت هەیە شێوەی تۆ دەگۆرێت--
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
crazy-hair spirits together.
هەمان هەست و سۆزی شێتانەمان هەبوو.
لە خەمی گاڵتە ئامێز بێت.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
بە ئێسكە نەرمە لەدایك بوو
more challenging than most.
بەڕەنگاری ژیان ببیتەوە.
بە پێی خۆی بڕوات،
دەستكردی لەبەر دەكرد.
ڕێك و پێك گەشەی نەدەكرد،
that was placed on his face.
دەم و چاوی بۆ دانرابوو.
خۆراگر بوو، هەروەها منیش.
the very thing that I adore --
بەرگت-- کە شەیدای ئەم کارەم --
كاریگەری لەسەر مێشكی نییە.
ئاگاداری كەم و كوڕیەكانی خۆیەتی.
of his shortcomings.
when he started school,
was a constant reminder
وەبیرهێنانەوەی بە بەردەوامی
to wear sweatpants every day:
ئەوە بوو هەموو ڕۆژێك پانتۆڵ بۆ :
he would wear proper pants.
پانتۆڵی شیاو لەبەر بكات.
the button and zipper,
نەیدەتوانی قۆپچە و زنجیر دابخات،
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
"هیچ شتێک نییە پێشتر نەمدی بێت."
than I ever imagined.
لەوەی خەیاڵم دەكرد خۆشیدەویست.
نمایشی جل و بەرگ دەدا.
and said very definitively
بە بڕیاری کۆتاییەوە گوتی
like everybody else gets to wear.
وەك ھەر كەسێكیتر كابۆ دەپۆشم.
to class with him
نەمدەتوانی لەگەڵی بۆ پۆڵ بچم
I was telling my eight-year-old
كوڕە ھەشت ساڵانەكەم گوت
what he wanted to wear.
بەخۆی دەستکاری بکەم.
my own favorite pants,
ئەو کابۆیانەی کە حەزم لێیەتی بێنم،
لاستیکی بوون.
دەربارەی چی قسە دەکەم؟
لەبەر بکات و داکەنێت.
up and down on his own.
of the bottom of his pants
بە لاقەکانی پێوە بلکێت،
peel and stick, mind you --
ئاگادار بن، لێکردنەوە و پێوەلکاندن --
my arts and crafts project,
دەستیەکەم بە ئۆلیڤەر نیشاندا،
with his head held so high.
زۆرەوە بۆ فێرگە ڕۆیشت.
to the bathroom on his own;
باوەڕبەخۆبوونی پێ بەخشی.
into the world of adaptive clothing.
نێو جیهانی جل و بەرگی گونجێنراو.
designed for people with disabilities,
جل و بەرگی کەم ئەندامەکان،
with dressing themselves.
پشت بە خۆی دەبەسێت ناو دەبرێت.
fashion component.
بەشی نمایشی لە دەستدابوو.
لەسەر باری دەروونیت،
باش ئەمە دەزانم
I've known this forever,
have a name for it.
of wearing the clothing,
لەبەرکردنی جل و بەرگ،
to how you feel about yourself.
چۆنیەتی هەست کردن بە خۆتەوە هەیە.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
بەریتانیا بە ناوی کارین جەی پاینە.
"Mind What You Wear:
"ئاگادار بە چی لەبەر دەکەیت:
of what you're wearing,
جلەی لەبەر دەکەیت دەگونجێنیت،
those perfect-fitting jeans.
when you put on that power suit,
کاتێک تۆ ئەم پۆشاکە لەبەر دەکەیت،
Oliver felt so isolated
دوورە پەرێزیەکی زۆر دەکرد
what he wanted to wear.
وەرزشی هەموو ڕۆژێک
پۆشاکی کەم ئەندام لەبەر دەکەم."
کەم ئەندامییەوە دەنالێنن.
experience clothing challenges,
بەڕەنگاری شارەزاییەکانی جل و بەرگ بن،
that may not be as confident,
باوەڕیان بە خۆیان،
نەبی كە ئەو دەیەوێت.
wearing those jeans,
كابۆی لەبەر کرد لە فێرگە بەجێم هێشت،
do something about that.
شتێك سەبارەت بەمە بکەم.
called Runway of Dreams.
ڕەنوەی ئۆف دڕیمیس دامەزراند.
the fashion industry
to mainstream clothing
پۆشاکانەی باون بكرێت
that has never been served.
خزمەتی پێ نەگەیشتووە.
year of research.
تەواوی لێكۆلینەوە دەكرێت.
I went to hospitals.
چاودێری منداڵان، نەخۆشخانەكان چووم.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
كورسی ئەلیكترۆنی كەم ئەندامانن
going to make a difference,
the clothing challenges
پۆشینی جل و بەرگی
as I possibly could.
who has cerebral palsy.
نەحۆشی ئیفلیجی مێشکی هەبوو.
to wear jeans on campus,
کەمپی زانکۆ،
her left forearm and her hand.
her daughter's difference magnified
جیاوازیە گەورەیەکی کچەکەم
قوڵیان درێژ بوون.
professionally tailored.
سەرفی کرد بهێنە بەر چاوتان؟
and money she spent?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
گەورە بوو چاو بە ئێریک لێگراند،
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
لە کاتی چارەسەر کردن کە توشی ئیفلیجی بوو.
seen some unfathomable things,
ناتوانیت لێی تیبگەی کەوت،
was the most heart-stopping.
and a lifting machine
ئامێرێکی بەرزکەرەوە
for over two hours.
سەیری ئەم پڕۆسەیەم کرد.
زیرەک دەربکەوم."
a change in the industry,
لەم پیشەسازیەدا کردبێت
how to make these clothes modified.
I gathered over that past year,
وەرگرت و کۆمکردەوە،
actually three categories
ئەڵقەی بچوک بۆ هەموو کەسێک سەرکێشی بوو.
were a challenge for almost everybody.
تەکنەلۆجیایەکی ئاسانی وەک:
with a more manageable technology:
able to wear jeans on campus,
کرد بتوانی کابۆ لە کەمپی زانکۆ بپۆشێت،
بەخۆی پۆشاک بپۆشێت.
different-shaped bodies.
گۆڕانکاریم تێدا دەکرد.
a shirt right off the rack
ڕاستەوخۆ لەبەر بکات
the clothing on and off the body,
لەبەر کردن و داکەندنی جل و بەرگە،
of over your head.
سەرەوە جل لەبەر دەکەیت.
پۆشاکەکە لە ڕێگەی قۆڵ لەبەر دەکرێت.
off his dressing process
ripped them apart,
پۆشاکەکانم پارچە پارچە کردن
until I felt I had great modifications.
بەمە کرد گۆڕانکاریەکی باشم کردووە.
گەورەیە ئامادە بووم کە:
going to make a difference,
جیاوازییەک دروست بکەم،
to educate the industry
پیشەسازی بەرەو پێش ببەم
that the industry heard me.
with the most amazing,
هەماهەنگی لەگەڵ بەناوبانگترین،
adaptive collection.
یەکەم کۆکراوەی چاکراو.
what you're going to wear,
موگناتیسی لەبەر دەکات --
are going to break down over time.
ماسوولکەکانی لەکار دەکەون.
devastating part for me.
that I cannot control
من ناتوانم کۆنترۆلی بکەم
کۆنترۆلی بکەم دەدەم،
industry to look up.
دەکەم گەشەی پێ بدەن.
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