Meet the Founder

Helen - Founder and Creative Designer

 

I was inspired to start Adaptive Clothing UK after my personal experience showed me how small changes to clothing could make a big impact on people’s lives.

I was a police officer serving in Greater Manchester Police when I was assaulted in the line of duty. The injuries I sustained and experience in the police have let me with hidden disabilities, including intermittent paralysis on the right side of my body. When the condition is triggered it can last for minutes or days – but suddenly I’m dependant on family to help me do even basic tasks like getting dressed. I quickly realised proper adaptive clothing would make this so much easier. Though I had adapted clothing years earlier when I had my first daughter, now 11 years. I found it frustrating to change her nappies when wearing a swimsuit, so I began adapting swimsuits at the crotch to make this process easier and less time consuming.

However, it was my niece Lilly who inspired me to start designing a children’s adaptive and sensory clothing range first before moving in to adults. Being autistic along with sensory processing disorder, we knew the difficulties of finding clothing that would not cause her discomfort and thus Adaptive Clothing UK was born. 

Now a mum with three children of my own, I want to see all children able to enjoy every moment of life as easily as possible!

'I was a GMP police officer when a horrific attack changed my life forever' - Manchester Evening News

Police officer left with debilitating stroke-like symptoms after being attacked in the line of duty - Cheshire Live (cheshire-live.co.uk)