DESIGNING ADAPTIVE CLOTHING STYLES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN

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Date
2014-11
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
Abstract
The study on ‘Designing adaptive clothing styles for visually impaired children’ was carried out during 2012-2014 at Dharwad, Belgum and Uttar Kannada Districts with the objectives: to study the clothing selection and laundering practices among blind adolescents, to identify the explicit recognition processes in identification of clothes, to assess the clothing problems of the blind adolescents, to design adaptive clothing with self-help features and to study the suitability and comfortability of the adaptive styles. The study comprised of two parts viz., survey method and experimental procedures. The primary data on clothing purchases and laundry practices was collected through survey method by interviewing 50 each visually impaired adolescent girl and boys using self structured interview schedules. In experimental procedure 5 adaptive clothing were designed for visually impaired adolescent girls for studying suitability and comfortability of the newly designed garment. The survey results revealed that, the visually impaired boys and girls were ‘always’ assisted by parents, teachers while purchasing clothes, boys ‘always’ purchased readymade garments and girls preferred tailor made garments. The visually impaired adolescents ‘always’ faced problem in selecting colour of the clothes followed by pattern. Colour identification, matching of upper and lower garments was the major problem reported by visually impaired adolescents. Majority of the girls always washed garments by themselves than the boys. Majority of the respondents opined that, Braille labels were highly suitable and functional followed by buttons, appliqué/patch work and bead work in identification of garment colour, style right/wrong and front/back of the garment. Among the garments, divided skirt and blouse, Kameez - salwar, and top wraparound skirt and leggings were found to be ‘highly acceptable’ adaptive garments.
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