Abstract

People with disabilities on a variety of spectrums face clothing-related challenges on a daily basis. Despite the number of people with disability living in the USA, the clothing industry has been slow to respond. This qualitative study was designed to utilize new technologies which are becoming industry standard and to explore their potential benefit in the product development process of clothing for people with body asymmetry. The study included participant interviews, body scanning, avatar creation, digital 3D clothing visualization and assessment, and comparative physical clothing fit assessment. Results indicate that additional virtual sampling may be needed to address fit issues for this population, but participant responses were positive and interest was high for retail application.