How do blind choose clothes to wear?

Posted by zuzana on 8/29/2011 at 5:05 PM

Hello All,

I am a textile for fashion student and I am posting here today to ask for help from you.
For my final major project I would like to develop a collection of clothes that would aid blind and visualy impaired people with getting dressed in the morning. I would like to eliminate issues such as "does this go together" and "do the colours match" or "is this appropriate wear for work,party...?"

My initial idea is to divide the collection into let's say three groups A,B,C. The wearer would know that as long as the garments are from the same group, they match.

Is this something blind or visualy impaired could find useful at all?
I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have on this topic.
Are there any other challenges you face when choosing clothes?

Many thanks in advance
Zuzana

There are currently 4 replies

Re:How do blind choose clothes to wear?

First your system would not help as it will only help the dependence and delay of blind people learning independent living skills. blind people are capable of knowing about what clothes goes with what. Also, blind people is not stupid and incapable. We know what clothes are suppose to go with what situations.we only need to know the colors. So, your system would hinder growth and help blind people rely on the sighted because after washing a sighted person would have to help re-sort things for the person. It would be far more useful if the blind individual has never learn the nack of dressing in terms of matching colors or situations to teach them how as they are suppose to know and if they don't then backing up to basics and instructing them is a good idea. a need for dependence is never good.

what my parents have done for me has bought iron on sequence flat beady things and have ironed them on my clothes in braille patterns to correspond with what the color of the shirt is. they have done it on the back of the shirt by the seam at my hip area. for example my white shirt I am currently wearing has a w on it for white. and my brown pants have bn on it standing for brown. and white and brown matches I am pretty sure. some use metal tags that tells them what color there clothes are and they safety pin it on the shirt. and people use them all the time.

Re:How do blind choose clothes to wear?

thank you rachelN, that was very helpful

Re:How do blind choose clothes to wear?

I use a sighted person who has good taste in oclors but I feel the fabric first before buying it.

Donald
http://praycircle.com/

Re: How do blind choose clothes to wear?

Hi, I'm a fashion student from Spain. (Sorry for my lame Engliosh!:/)

My final major project is adressed to blind people too, and I've found your post during my research. I wonder, had you finally succeed in your project?
I've been asking for help in ONCE association for blind people but received a very little attention from them... it would be great if you could lend me a hand, please, since I feel kinda lost at the moment.

My project is centered in volumetric and texture applications in order to add tactile expressiveness to the clothing; the produced garments would have a braille embroidered label for color recognizing.

Any opinion would be of great help. Thankyou in advance, hope I haven't bothered you on invading your post >__<

Roser