• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.344-355
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to develop a workwear design that takes into account the characteristics of people with severe developmental disabilities who can engage in vocational activities. The aim was to identify needs according to the specific characteristics of people with severe disabilities to design work clothes and develop products according to universal design guidelines. This research method was conducted through representative interviews from a company employing people with severe dis- abilities in Daegu to determine the requirements for workers-related work clothes, and then applied universal design guidelines to perform appropriate design. The results of the study show that the hygiene and warmth of clothing are important for people with developmental disabilities. Therefore, the use of bright materials is required. Second, people with brain lesions often have low body temperature due to difficulties with blood circulation, for which warmth is a required factor. Third, people with severe developmental disabilities should not be differentiated in comparison to people without disabilities, therefore, it was important to use nondiscriminatory designs. Accordingly, it was more efficient to modify and supplement clothing designed for non-disabled people with hidden functions to suit specific characteristics, rather than to develop specialized clothing. These demands were found to conform to what is referred to as a universal design concept, through which three nondiscriminatory shirt designs and two easy-to-use pants were designed.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.62-73
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• 2024

This study explored and compared apparel products in domestic and international adaptive apparel markets through the lens of inclusive design to improve lives of people with disabilities. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of these markets, identify product characteristics, and examine factors for continuous growth of the adaptive apparel market. In the domestic market, Heartist is the only brand that has consistently commercialized a wide range of apparel products. This brand did not limit itself to developing apparel specifically for people with disabilities, but combined stylish design and functionality to make enhancements accessible to a wider range of users. However, its actual products in the marketplace reflect only a few functional enhancements rather than accounting for various types of physical capabilities. Adaptive apparel brands in international markets were segmented by various design purposes, enabling wearers with different physical capabilities to enjoy a wider range of designs. Selected brands focused on business casual styles, incorporating various fastenings and magnetic closures for enhanced functionality. Findings of this research will furnish designers and product developers with practical insights, thereby contributing to tangible and positive improvements of lives for people with disabilities.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2024

Patients with acute respiratory diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) due to COVID-19, must wear masks, protective clothing, face shields, and gloves to prevent infection during treatment and performance. Even if it is applied to disabled people, families who protect them are severely mentally tired from severe physical fatigue and stress from exposure to high-risk infectious diseases. As such, the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases has not only caused difficulties in using existing welfare and medical services but also caused various problems throughout the daily life of disabled people due to the prolonged infectious disease, and its scope is gradually expanding. Therefore, it should not be overlooked that disabled people may experience various difficulties, from the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases to isolation, diagnosis, and treatment, and it is time to actively assess the life changes felt by families caring for disabled people and consider and research to provide adequate services. According to the survey of disabled people is being conducted in the context of the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases, while research on the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases is rare for parents with disabilities. There is a need for additional investigation into the characteristics in other areas of everyday life, including the health field, which is deteriorating through prior research. Therefore, through this survey, the purpose of this study is to investigate the life changes of parents with disabilities in the context of the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases and to compare and analyze them to find out how parents were affected by each type of disability. It will be used as evidence to identify more necessary needs and problems for parents with disabilities in the spread of infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases and to provide more appropriate health care and welfare services in the future.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.842-860
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• 2022

There has been growing attention on the well-being of people with disabilities. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate the associations between individuals' socio-demographic and psychological characteristics and clothing expenditure, and (2) to examine the moderated mediation effect of self-efficacy and acceptance of disability on the association between dependency on others and happiness among people with visual impairment. This study was based on secondary analysis of data from the second wave of the 6th Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled collected by the Employment Development Institute. The results of this study showed that average monthly expenditure on clothing was positively associated with self-efficacy, happiness, and acceptance of disability, while being negatively associated with dependency on others. The results also confirmed that self-efficacy mediated the association between dependency on others and happiness. A conditional direct effect of dependency on others on happiness was found, in which negative associations were significant among people with visual impairment who had low and mean levels of acceptance of disability (but not high levels). In addition, there was a significant conditional indirect effect, in which the indirect and negative effect of dependency on others on happiness via self-efficacy was significant for those with low and average levels of acceptance of disability. These findings support the importance of enhancing the independence and acceptance of disability among people with visual impairment, which ultimately contributes to their happiness.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.647-654
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• 2022

Wearable devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes in numerous fields in numerous fields and are available in various forms. They can be integrated into clothing, gloves, hats, glasses, and bags and used in healthcare, the medical field, and machine interfaces. These devices keep track individuals' biological and behavioral data to help with health communication and are often used for injury prevention. Those with hearing loss or impaired vision find it more difficult to recognize an approaching person or object; these sensing devices are particularly useful for such individuals, as they assist them with injury prevention by alerting them to the presence of people or objects in their immediate vicinity. Despite these obvious preventive benefits to developing Internet of Things based devices for the disabled, the development of these devices has been sluggish thus far. In particular, when compared with people without disabilities, people with hearing impairment have a much higher probability of averting danger when they are able to notice it in advance. However, research and development remain severely underfunded. In this study, we incorporated a wearable detection system, which uses an infrared proximity sensor, into a backpack. This system helps its users recognize when someone is approaching from behind through visual and tactile notification, even if they have difficulty hearing or seeing the objects in their surroundings. Furthermore, this backpack could help prevent accidents for all users, particularly those with visual or hearing impairments.