^{White Paper offers data-driven, open-source playbook for brands to drive innovation and build trust with Disabled consumer market} 

London, 27 November 2025 : The global strategic accessibility consultancy, Tilting the Lens, today announced the launch of its first open-source white paper, Co-designing Adaptive Fashion with the Disabled Community.  

The report is the culmination of extensive co-designed research, part-funded by ASOS, with 102 Disabled participants and provides a comprehensive framework for the fashion industry to move beyond basic compliance to genuine inclusion.  

The research project demonstrates both an economic and a moral imperative for systemic change, highlighting that the Disabled community across the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU, holds over $2.6 trillion in disposable income – a significant untapped market opportunity.  

“Disabled people are disabled by design. At Tilting the Lens, our methodology is not to design for, but to design with and design by the Disabled community, positioning lived experience as the true intellectual property for innovation” said Sinéad Burke, Founder and CEO of Tilting the Lens.  

“This white paper exists to challenge systemic assumptions that govern design in the fashion sector. The insights and learnings cannot remain just with us, and so we are open-sourcing this framework in the drive towards change for the Disabled Community.” 

Key findings highlight a system that has immense potential: 

• Awareness gap: A quarter of respondents (25%) were unaware that adaptive clothing exists, highlighting failures in marketing, representation, and visibility. 

• Disability tax: Disabled consumers face higher costs for essential clothing, settling for what’s available, rather than what they desire, which does not provide equitable access. 

• Customer loyalty: When a product meets accessibility needs, 91% of Disabled consumers are likely to buy multiples, achieving superior Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) for brands that get it right.  

• Core motivators: The top purchase drivers for Disabled customers are Comfort and Fit (87%) and Functionality and Practicality (69%), underlining a need for design that accommodates a variety of body types, sensory sensitivities, and ease of dressing.  

The Tilting the Lens white paper provides a data-driven blueprint for action, urging brands to: 

1. Grow sustainably through co-design: embed Disabled individuals as experts and paid collaborators at every stage of the design process, from initial sketch to product launch.  

2. Provide a seamless shopping experience: acknowledging that transport systems and physical stores are often inaccessible, brands should go beyond WCAG* compliance to create genuinely enjoyable and easy to use digital platforms, including highly detailed product descriptions, product images on models with different types of bodies, virtual try-on tools, and accessible delivery and returns processes.  

3. Scale-up adaptive fashion: brands should focus on addressing shared challenges, such fit and fabric (74% prefer soft, lightweight natural fibres), and independent dressing, to achieve economies of scale and make adaptive fashion more affordable.  

Commenting on the launch of the whitepaper, Elena Martinez Ortiz, Executive Vice President, Product at ASOS said: “Since launching our partnership with Tilting the Lens, their research and insights have highlighted key gaps in the market and challenges in the online shopping experience for customers with disabilities. These findings, combined with community input, have shaped our plans for the year ahead, helping us enhance accessibility, improve processes, and create a more inclusive end-to-end shopping journey.” 

Tilting the Lens is a global strategic accessibility consultancy founded by Sinéad Burke, built on the pillars of education, advocacy, and design. The majority-Disabled team is committed to open-sourcing core insights to ensure its work is available to designers, academics, consumers, and businesses seeking to build a more equitable fashion system. Tilting the Lens works on projects across every business sector, with the goal of creating the conditions for Disabled people to be successful in a fair and accessible world.  

The full white paper, Co-designing Adaptive Fashion with the Disabled Community, is available now to download from the Tilting the Lens website reports page: www.tiltingthelens.com   

Notes to Editors

WCAG : Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/  

About ASOS 

Founded in 2000, ASOS has 17m active customers in over 150 markets. We bring fashion lovers around the world the best and most relevant fashion through our unique own brands including ASOS DESIGN, ARRANGE, COLLUSION, Topshop, and Topman, styled with the most exciting products from local and global partner brands. With our expert in-house design team and agile and flexible commercial model, including ASOS Fulfilment Services, Partner Fulfils, and Test & React, we make the latest trends accessible to all and give customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be.