The apparel design for The Blind people, in response to circumstance and usability

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to study the clothing purchasing behavior of visually impaired persons and the dressing challenges which affect their daily lives and design 6 working outfits specifically for visually impaired women. This research is a mix methods research integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. The primary data were collected by conducting a survey on the clothing purchasing behavior of the sample comprised of 50 visually impaired women aged 25-40 years old, and the challenges of getting dressed they faced. The secondary data were gathered from related books and documents.  The study found that the 50 visually impaired women, the sample group selected by purposive sampling, earn 13,000-16,000 baht per month. 54% of them earn a living by selling state lottery tickets. 96 % of them seek help from sighted persons when purchasing clothes. The challenges the sample have encountered when getting dressed by themselves are the inability to identify colors, patterns, and the front/back of the clothing items without main labels, and to match clothes with suitable color and pattern, and the difficulties in putting on form-fitting clothes, clothes with back closures, and clothes that require bow tying. To address the aforementioned challenges, many techniques were employed in designing working outfits for visually impaired persons, for instance, embossing Braille designs and tactile graphics, utilizing QR code tags to provide information of the clothing items, using suitably-sized materials, buttons and zippers, and using innovative fabrics, such as wrinkle-resistant fabrics, anti-odor fabrics, collagen-coated fabrics, and temperature-regulating fabrics, to meet the needs of the sample group. These outfits would help reduce worries and give the visually impaired persons confidence in dressing and enabling them to perceive more aesthetic value of the clothes they are wearing.