Nottingham Trent University student creates wheelchair user-friendly fashion range

Fashion knitwear design student Gemma Tyte from Nottingham Trent University has created a fashion range supporting people in wheelchairs and people with cerebral palsy.

The adaptive range is entitled Bermudaful Adaptions and it focuses on womenswear that additionally caters for larger sizes. She has made the designs accessible for people in wheelchairs by considering the seated position.

One of the pieces in the collection includes a skort that is designed with a higher back to front and features magnetic seams and an elastic waistband.

The student’s work will feature at Nottingham Trent University’s art and design summer show, as part of an online exhibition on wearecreativesntu.art, along with other graduating artists and designers.

“I want to encourage brands to think outside of the box and make big differences to be inclusive and show that it’s possible with minor adjustments to their existing ranges. In many cases, it only means incorporating things like Velcro and magnets instead of buttons, so that garments can be fastened easily.

“Disabled people want to look like everyone else, but a lot of adapted clothes are very functional and boring. They’re not unique and don’t allow people to express themselves,” Tyte said in a statement.

Ian McInnes, principal lecturer in fashion knitwear design at Nottingham Trent University, added: “Gemma has taken her personal experience with modern fashion, sought the views of a range of people with disabilities, and provided a workable solution for the industry to consider.”