Ideas worth spreading

How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities

1,062,032 views | Mindy Scheier • TED@Tommy

Do you have a favorite T-shirt or pair of jeans that transforms you and makes you feel confident -- makes you feel like you? That's because what you wear can affect your mood, your health and your self-esteem, says fashion designer Mindy Scheier. Inspired by her son, who was born with a degenerative disorder that makes it hard for him to dress himself or wear clothing with buttons or zippers, Scheier set out to make clothing that works for everyone, including the differently abled. Learn more about how she's made fashion history by producing the world's first mainstream adaptive clothing line.

Do you have a favorite T-shirt or pair of jeans that transforms you and makes you feel confident -- makes you feel like you? That's because what you wear can affect your mood, your health and your self-esteem, says fashion designer Mindy Scheier. Inspired by her son, who was born with a degenerative disorder that makes it hard for him to dress himself or wear clothing with buttons or zippers, Scheier set out to make clothing that works for everyone, including the differently abled. Learn more about how she's made fashion history by producing the world's first mainstream adaptive clothing line.

Learn more about getting involved with Runway of Dreams Foundation programs, including the model lookbook and adaptive design workshops.

Donate to Runway of Dreams Foundation and help broaden the reach of adaptive clothing and promote people with disabilities in fashion through inclusion, empowerment and opportunity.

Check out the Runway of Dreams Foundation YouTube page to visually see the growth and development of the foundation and the importance of giving visibility to disability in the world of fashion.

About the speaker

Mindy Scheier

Fashion designer

See speaker profile

Mindy Scheier is the founder of the Runway of Dreams Foundation. Prior to launching the nonprofit, Mindy spent over 20 years working in fashion as a key member of the design team for the INC collection and stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Karen J. Pine | Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2014 | Book

Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion

As I outlined in my TED talk, clothing inspires self-confidence. Written by Professor Karen Pine, a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire, this book explores the significant correlation between the clothing we choose to wear each morning and the confidence, personality and self-worth we feel inside. Reading her research helped inform and inspire the launch of the Runway of Dreams Foundation, which I developed to ensure that people with disabilities around the world experience empowerment and self-confidence through the clothes they wear every day.

Teri Agins | William Morrow Paperbacks, 2000 | Book

The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever

This book is a timeless, must-read for any upcoming fashion designer. I’ve worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years, and this book continues to inform the way I think about the industry and its continual evolution.

| Explore

New York Times "Disability" column

Towards the end of 2016, the New York Times launched its "Disability" column — a collection of first-person essays and intimate stories from members of the disability community. The column gives a voice to the community and helps highlights the very real experiences faced by people with different disabilities. It is truly inspiring and a must read for me each week.

W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne | Harvard Business Review Press, 2015 | Book

Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

This book had a huge impact on me as I was developing the Runway of Dreams Foundation. It helped me understand the importance of taking advantage of the white space in a market, which in my case was representation of people with disabilities in fashion.

Tony Hsich | Grand Central Publishing, 2013 | Book

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

A positive company culture is vital to for any business hoping to succeed today. In this book, Zappo’s CEO Tony Hsich shares his tips for success and unique perspective on how building a positive work culture can shape your life both personally and professionally.

| Explore

Muscular Dystrophy Association

When I first conducted research on my son Oliver’s disability, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) website was a tremendous resource for me as I learned about the disease. The organization also has a blog, MDA Strongly, that shares personal stories of members of the community. I highly encourage parents and caretakers to take advantage of these resources and lean on the Association’s great work to help build understanding.

| Watch

Runway of Dreams YouTube

The Runway of Dreams YouTube channel is a great resource for people to visually see the growth and development of RoDF and the importance of giving visibility to disability in the world of fashion. Some videos even show kids explaining clothing challenges, allowing others to better understand what it is like to live with a disability.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

Read more about the TED Institute

Learn more about getting involved with Runway of Dreams Foundation programs, including the model lookbook and adaptive design workshops.

Donate to Runway of Dreams Foundation and help broaden the reach of adaptive clothing and promote people with disabilities in fashion through inclusion, empowerment and opportunity.

Check out the Runway of Dreams Foundation YouTube page to visually see the growth and development of the foundation and the importance of giving visibility to disability in the world of fashion.