Designing Independence: MIAD Students Create Adaptive Clothing with Independence First

At Independence First, we believe accessibility starts with listening and sometimes that means rethinking what we wear.

This fall, students from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) partnered with Independence First to design adaptive clothing that meets the real needs of people who use wheelchairs. The project, part of MIAD’s junior-level Patternmaking & Construction course, gave Fashion & Apparel Design students an opportunity to learn about inclusive design while creating functional, stylish garments for everyday life.

Working closely with Independence First staff and board members, the students learned firsthand how thoughtful design can make a difference.

Brad Holz, an Independence First board member and long-time advocate for accessibility, worked with students Quincey Blackwood and Keira Batzel on a collared shirt and pants designed with magnetic closures, elastic features, and front-thigh pockets for easier reach while using a wheelchair.

A young woman gives a presentation. She's holding a microphone and addressing a conference room. A man in a power wheelchair is beside her in a custom blue shirt and khakis. Three young women pose for a photo. A student on the left stands with a grey sweatshirt. A young woman is seated wearing a dark coat. A student is standing with pink colored hair.

The students pose with their models wearing their custom designs.

Andrea Gonzalez, Independence First’s Payroll and Exceptions Coordinator and a 2013 MIAD graduate, collaborated with students Marlie-Madison Hansen and Sherylyn Flores to create a tailored jacket and shorts set with wide lapels, decorative buttons, and adaptive adjustments for easier dressing.

“Something that comes up a lot of the time is the cost of accessibility, the thing is if accessibility is intrinsic to the process the cost will come down,” Gonzalez said about the project. “Anybody would be happy to have these.”

For the students, the collaboration offered a firsthand look at lived experience and encouraged them to rethink how clothing supports it.

This is the second year MIAD students have partnered with Independence First to explore inclusive fashion. Each collaboration helps future designers think beyond traditional standards of fit, form, and function and helps our community reimagine independence in everyday life.

We’re proud to continue this partnership and celebrate the creativity, empathy, and collaboration it represents.

Click here to learn more about the project from MIAD.