seen as much of with our competition .
befree is an official sponsor of Swim Up Hill Foundation . Tell us about this .
We are all about inclusion and when we heard about founder and CEO , Paralympian Jamal Hill ’ s mission , we wanted to support him and get involved . He is focusing on schools with large populations of underprivileged and children with disabilities to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim . He is promoting inclusion as well as saving lives and we ’ re proud to be a part of this amazing program ! Learn more at swimuphill . org /
What advice do you have for others hoping to become champions for people with disabilities , whether as a person with a disability or as an ally ?
Champions for people with disabilities are great problem solvers . Whether you are an ally or a person with a disability , if you have a solution to a problem for yourself or someone you are caring for , go for it ! If it will help you then it can make a huge impact on others as well .
What can we expect from befree in the next year ?
We will continue to promote adaptive and inclusive fashion with our messaging and will have some new product offerings as well . We currently have shorts and leggings in production , both with the same design and functionality as our long pants . These should be available in the upcoming months . Later this year we are going to work on joggers , cargo pants and jeans .
What message would you like to share about the importance of inclusivity and the power of the fashion industry to unite people ?
befree is dedicated to improving lives by addressing the real , everyday challenges of people living with limited mobility , and we ’ re committed to making adaptive and inclusive fashion that really works . While zipOns were initially created with Stella in mind , they have evolved to be a stylish and functional solution for millions who struggle to get dressed due to temporary or permanent disabilities . The market for inclusive fashion is substantial and growing . Millions of Americans live with a permanent physical disability and struggle every day to dress themselves . Temporary disabilities too — including lower limb fractures and hip and knee surgeries — leave millions more without good options for simple , attractive and wearable clothing . While designers are slowly becoming more aware of the need for inclusive fashion choices , to date those options are still extremely limited .
Everyone , regardless of ability or disability , should have a wide range of fashion options to express themselves and feel good in the clothes they are wearing . It is important for the fashion industry and consumers to recognize that the desire for fashion applies to everyone . We should all aim for a future where adaptive clothing is mainstream .
Because inclusion is so important to us , we want to make sure that financial hardship is never an obstacle to access our adaptive clothing . We have partnered with a local non-profit , the Jauron Family Foundation , to provide financial assistance when needed to purchase our pants . Learn more at www . jauronfamilyfoundation . org .
We invite readers to visit us at www . befreeco . com , join our email list and spread the word about befree !
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