NEWS

Rubies hails inclusivity with new Adaptive Costumes

Published on: 10th August 2021

Rubies’ range of Adaptive Costumes has been designed for children with limited mobility, letting every child join in roleplay and dress-up.

Rubies believes that all children, no matter their condition or level of ability, deserve the chance to participate in the magical world of roleplay and dress-up. The company has released a new range of Adaptive Costumes specifically designed for children with limited mobility. The costumes have a range of features which mean they are optimised for ease of wear, accessibility and fitting.

Mike O’Connell, Rubies’ managing director, commented: “We are extremely pleased to announce the introduction of Adaptive Costumes into our extensive licensed portfolio. As an inclusive and innovative company, we strive to create a world where everyone can express themselves equally.”

Specialised design features include back openings in the trousers and skirts, which allow wheelchair users to dress in bed or in a laying down position. A combination of Velcro fastenings with elasticated areas add comfort and allow for easier dressing, while a discreet front flap opening allows access to tubes on the abdominal area. Furthermore, the seated area is free from costume fabric, helping to reduce pressure points which can cause sores and ulcers from wrinkles, creases or pronounced seams.

To ensure the collection provided comfort and inclusivity with the key demographic, the costumes have been tried and tested on a select focus group of participants in this year’s Superhero Series Powered by Marvel, with positive feedback across the board on the designs and features. One of the costumes even featured on a Good Morning Britain section, with Emerson Grant showcasing his Spider-Man outfit to the nation.

Mike O’Connell added: “Although our exclusive Adaptive Range costumes are different in their features and design, we wanted to ensure our price point matched any other costume of the same quality within our range. Dress-up play is a very important part of childhood, allowing children to explore different characters and role models and shape who they become, and we hope these costumes will allow every child to be able to do this.”

Emerson Grant, who uses a wheelchair, appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain wearing his Rubies Adaptive Spider-Man costume.

The new range will launch with a choice of characters from Marvel, DC and The Mandalorian that are instantly recognisable and highly inspiring to children. The superhero range in particular focuses on Captain America and Spider-Man’s jumpsuits featuring 3D padded muscles; both consist of tops, trousers and snood. The range also includes Wonder Woman’s dress, which has a shimmering sequin bodice detail, a full layered skirt and comes with a range of accessories to complete the character including cape, boot covers, gauntlets and a foam tiara.

Adaptive Costumes will be available to order in time for Halloween. Contact the Rubies sales team to find out more.

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