Adaptive Fashion Education

Vollbrecht Adaptive Consulting developed a 10-course series on adaptive fashion after noticing an education gap around what adaptive fashion is, the history of adaptive fashion, where to start with adaptive and universal design, and how to get adaptive fashion into the hands of the consumer.
A photo of Monica Engle Thomas, a white woman with curly brownish red hair. She is wearing a pair of circular sunglasses and has a bright red lip on. She is wearing a button-down sleeveless top and a pair of jeans while seated in her black manual wheelchair.

Course 1: Introduction to Adaptive Fashion
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A first look at adaptive fashion through language, definitions, and clothing challenges.

A photo of Molly Farrell, who runs the Instagram account All.Fashion.Able. Molly is a white woman with brown hair. In this photo she is wearing a bright pink v-neck sweater, a pair of pleather joggers, and cheetah print boots. Her pink forearm crutches are visible in the photo. She was also wearing a pair of black heart sunglasses.

Course 2:
History of Adaptive Fashion
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The first wave of adaptive fashion in the 1950s and 60s to the pioneers of the early 2000s adaptive fashion resurgence.

A photo of Moeed Majeed, wearing the brand Unhidden while seated on a green couch. He is wearing a black top and black pants with his long hair pulled back into a bun. He is smiling brightly at the camera.

Course 3: Importance of Disability Inclusion in Fashion
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The representation, equal access, and apparel tools needed to break the cycle of exclusion in the fashion industry.

A photo of two women wearing black EmBrace It t-shirts. These two women run a podcast and workshops called EmBrace It, which focuses on disability inclusion, confidence, adaptive fashion, and body positivity.

Course 4: Adaptive Fashion Customer Deep Dive
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The approaches to dressing, target audience roles, and monetary considerations of the adaptive fashion customer.

A photo of Jill Ilana, a white woman with shoulder length dark brown hair. Jill wears a white sweater and black pants. She stands in front of a cobblestone wall.

Course 5: Adaptive Fashion Market Overview
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The size, price points, brands, and marketplaces in the adaptive fashion market.

A photo of Danielle Marx, a white woman with shoulder length brown hair and glasses, wearing a blue tunic and a Yarrow cardigan. The cardigan has magnetic closures and faux buttons.

Course 6:
Developing Adaptive Fashion 1 - Adaptive Design

The product development paths and design considerations of developing adaptive fashion through adaptive design.

A photo of Jocy Mondragon. She is wearing a yellow, blue, and green 70s print sweater, a pair of light wash jeans, and is seated in her powered wheelchair. She is surrounded by flowers on either side of her.

Course 7: Developing Adaptive Fashion 2 - Universal Design

The product development paths and design considerations of developing adaptive fashion through universal design.

A photo of Unhidden founder Victoria Jenkins. She is seated in a mustard yellow chair. Victoria is a white woman with shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing an Unhidden t-shirt and black pants. Behind the chair is a wall of flowers.

Course 8: Developing Adaptive Fashion 3 - Fit & Functionality

Why fit, functionality, and wear testing are crucial to the adaptive fashion development process.

A photo of Tyler Wcislo, a young male model with shoulder length hair. The photo is taken with a very artsy perspective.

Course 9:
Merchandising Adaptive Fashion - The Shopping Experience

Ensuring adaptive fashion reaches the adaptive consumer through proper in-store and online merchandising.

A photo of Rachel Handler, a white woman with dark brown hair. She is seated resting her arm on her knee, and her gold prosthetic limb is visible. She is wearing a blue and purple sports bra and navy leggings.

Course 10: Marketing Adaptive Fashion

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The why, where, and how to reaching the adaptive fashion customer through marketing.

Tracy, a white woman with red hair, adjusts an orange sports bra for a lay-flat photoshoot.

Courses 1-5 Bundle:  Adaptive Fashion Introduction
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From introduction to history to customer and market, get the first 5 of our courses with this bundle!

A white mannequin from the TV show Fashion Dis sits in a mobility aid, wearing a plum top and jeans from the brand Yarrow. Behind the mannequin is a rack of clothing and two dress forms, also with Yarrow clothing on them.

Courses 6-10 Bundle: Developing Adaptive Fashion


From adaptive and universal design to merchandising and marketing, get the second 5 of our courses with this bundle!

Interested in learning more about adaptive design? Want to take a first step towards disability inclusion? Let us help you.

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