Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier: Jak ubrania adaptacyjne pomagają niepełnosprawnym
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
myśląc, w co się ubiorę
the same way about fashion,
podejścia do mody jak ja,
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
lub dżinsy, w których się zmieniasz,
crazy-hair spirits together.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
z rzadką formą dystrofii mięśni,
more challenging than most.
jest wyzwaniem.
that was placed on his face.
the very thing that I adore --
ubieranie się,
of his shortcomings.
swoich niedostatków.
when he started school,
was a constant reminder
ciągle mu przypominało,
to wear sweatpants every day:
ubierając go stale w dresy:
he would wear proper pants.
wkładał porządne spodnie.
the button and zipper,
poradzić sobie z guzikiem i rozporkiem,
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
than I ever imagined.
niż się spodziewałam.
and said very definitively
ze szkoły i oświadczył,
like everybody else gets to wear.
w dżinsach, jak wszyscy inni.
to class with him
I was telling my eight-year-old
what he wanted to wear.
że kiedy byłam w ciąży,
my own favorite pants,
ulubionych spodni,
up and down on his own.
of the bottom of his pants
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.
w świecie ubrań adaptacyjnych.
designed for people with disabilities,
z myślą o ludziach niepełnosprawnych,
with dressing themselves.
przychodzi z trudnością.
fashion component.
I've known this forever,
więc zawsze o tym wiedziałam,
have a name for it.
of wearing the clothing,
to how you feel about yourself.
na to, jak się czujesz.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
"Mind What You Wear:
of what you're wearing,
those perfect-fitting jeans.
when you put on that power suit,
w tym garniturze w prążki,
Oliver felt so isolated
Oliver czuł się wyobcowany,
what he wanted to wear.
experience clothing challenges,
ma kłopot z ubieraniem się,
that may not be as confident,
doświadcza mniej pewności siebie,
wearing those jeans,
poszedł do szkoły w dżinsach,
do something about that.
że mogę coś z tym zrobić.
called Runway of Dreams.
Runway of Dreams.
the fashion industry
przemysłowi odzieżowemu,
to mainstream clothing
that has never been served.
których wcześniej nie zauważano.
year of research.
I went to hospitals.
instytucjach, szpitalach.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
osoby na wózkach inwalidzkich,
going to make a difference,
the clothing challenges
kłopoty z ubieraniem się
as I possibly could.
who has cerebral palsy.
z mózgowym porażeniem dziecięcym.
to wear jeans on campus,
her left forearm and her hand.
her daughter's difference magnified
professionally tailored.
przerobiła u krawca.
and money she spent?
nakład czasu i pieniędzy?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
spędzenia czasu z Erikiem LeGrand,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
sparaliżowanym podczas meczu.
seen some unfathomable things,
wiele niewyobrażalnych rzeczy,
was the most heart-stopping.
zapierająca dech w piersiach.
and a lifting machine
oraz podnośnika,
for over two hours.
ponad dwie godziny.
a change in the industry,
dokonać zmiany w tej branży,
how to make these clothes modified.
I gathered over that past year,
w ciągu ostatniego roku
actually three categories
were a challenge for almost everybody.
były wyzwaniem dla prawie każdego.
with a more manageable technology:
czymś łatwiejszym w obsłudze:
able to wear jeans on campus,
na Harvardzie mógł nosić dżinsy,
different-shaped bodies.
o innej budowie ciała.
a shirt right off the rack
koszulę prosto z wieszaka
the clothing on and off the body,
na wkładanie i ściąganie ubrań,
of over your head.
by wkładać najpierw ręce.
off his dressing process
ubierania się o pięć etapów
ripped them apart,
,
until I felt I had great modifications.
póki nie uznałam, że są świetne.
going to make a difference,
prawdziwej zmiany,
to educate the industry
uświadomić przemysłowi,
that the industry heard me.
że zostałam wysłuchana.
with the most amazing,
współpracował z najwspanialszą,
marką na naszej planecie,
adaptive collection.
kolekcję ubrań adaptacyjnych.
what you're going to wear,
are going to break down over time.
z czasem zniszczeją.
devastating part for me.
najbardziej mnie dobija.
podupada na zdrowiu.
that I cannot control
nad którymi nie mam kontroli,
industry to look up.
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