Adapted Jacket
Purpose
Kathleen, who lives with FOP in Canada, modified this jacket so that she would wear it in her wheelchair. Before her modification, the only way she could wear a jacket was backwards or put it on before she sat down in her chair. There is a slit down the back so she can get her arms in. It took a few tries as the material needed to be stretchy and the jacket big enough.
She says,” I put my right arm in, feed it through the back, and then put my left arm in. It is key to have a jacket that is stretchy. As you can see in the photos, it covers my back and keeps me warm. I had a friend sew it. My right arm is tight to my side, but I still find the jacket comfortable.”
How to make
Items Needed: Jacket, scissors, sewing machine
- Find a warm, stretchy jacket. You could even look at a second-hand store!
- Cut a slit in the back of the jacket
- Sew the edges so that it does not fray
This tool was created as part of the 2026 Ability Toolbox Homemade Tools Contest. More information about the contest can be found on the IFOPA Webpage. The IFOPA would like to thank The Radiant Hope Foundation for their generous financial support of this program.