This week bespoken takes a closer look at Able2 Wear, a company that specialises in designing and supplying clothes for wheelchair users.

The purpose of Able2 Wear

The first thing to say about Able2 Wear is that they are not about cutting edge, avant-garde fashion. Their goal is more to the point.  Simply put they provide specially designed clothing which is both suitable and comfortable for wheelchair users and others who have problems with clothing.

So who do they cater for?

In short, everybody. Their range covers menswear, womenswear and childrenswear.  They offer a standard range of clothes but also offer a service whereby they take measurements and hand cut a particular item of clothing on demand.

What’s to be found?

You name it. They specialise in making trousers for people who spend the day sitting and offer a wide range to choose from. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other items you can find on their website include shirts, ties, belts, fleeces and waterproof clothing. They even have lounge suits and some very suave gentlemen’s suits for those formal evenings.

What makes Able2 Wear’s clothes so special?

The company was started by Patricia Watson and Harry Gillispie (for more details click here), and one of the first things they did was some intensive research, and that didn’t mean reading dusty reports on the subject of disability. They instead went out to interview wheelchair users, and people with various types of disabilities, to find out what they needed. Their designs are inspired by their findings and include, for example, jackets which fasten both at the front and back, for people with limited movement in their arms. Another example is warm, waterproof leggings and snugs that are easy to put on and take off from the confinement of a wheelchair.

Proof is in the pudding

It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Able2 Wear but today they are a thriving business whose significance is being widely recognised. They have won numerous awards for both clothing and business, and Patricia Watson has recently been made an OBE.

For more information about Able2 Wear click here