Inclusive Cooling garments

Heat-related illness is becoming an increasingly significant issue in the Paralympics, especially as environmental conditions continue to grow hotter. Many para-athletes experience a condition called autodysreflexia, which affects the autonomic nervous system and disrupts the body’s natural cooling mechanisms. This makes them more vulnerable to heat-related illness and fatigue, which can negatively impact performance or even lead to serious injury.

To address this, I designed an inclusive cooling jacket tailored to the needs of para-athletes. The jacket is reversible, allowing it to be worn in different orientations depending on the user's impairment. It incorporates inclusive design features such as Velcro fastenings and a wrap-style closure, enabling athletes with limited hand or finger dexterity to put it on independently, without assistance from coaches or support staff.

The design includes both an ice vest and forearm wrap, offering flexibility depending on individual preferences or the demands of different sports acknowledging that some cooling solutions may not be suitable across all activities.

The estimated cost of the product is around £100, comparable to similar items currently on the market. It would be produced using hand-cutting tools or laser cutting and assembled with a sewing machine using a variety of stitches suited to the function and stress of different areas.

The renders were made using viscom - an AI software which can generate rendered photos from a sketch. Materials research was assisted using ChatGPT on finding sources and material options for the product.