Hey, Me Too!

By Carol Taiji

For parents of children with severe mobility restrictions, getting dressed can be a full-blown aerobic workout. Tom Burns and Deborah Cappos of Nelson, B.C. have decided to do something about this – and it’s not just little kids and their parents who stand to benefit.

Tom and Deborah have spent the past two years researching, designing, trial testing, (more researching and more designing) a new line of clothing called “Mee Too”. This line of clothing has been designed specifically with the needs of children and youth with disabilities in mind.

“Now we truly know the meaning of ‘back to the drawing board’!” says Tom, “But, we’re finally ready and we know the clothes are good.”

What makes the clothing so special? Well, first of all it looks really great; the colours are bright and cheerful and the style is classic and contemporary. It’s all stuff any of us would like to dress our kids in. And, the sizes reach from three to eighteen so no one gets left out. But, lurking beneath the surface are tons of cleverly hidden tailoring conveniences which make the clothes very special. For example, all of the pants have a higher rise in the back to accommodate those who sit in wheelchairs and they have rugged wrist loops built into the inner seams to make lifting children easier. The clothes have reinforcement in the appropriate wear zones; like on the back of the forearm for children in wheelchairs. All of the garments open up just that little bit further to make putting them on and taking them off a snap And speaking of snaps, most of them are half snaps which means they have velcro under them – so kids can learn to easily dress themselves. All of these wonderful adaptations are inconspicuous once the clothes are on. It’s brilliant!

Because of the range of disabilities which affect children, Tom and Deborah also custom design garments for those whose needs are not met by existing styles or options. Tom informs: “Our philosophy is to create clothes that really make life easier and more fun. We realize that to accomplish this, we must be open to custom design work.”

And the reason why Tom and Deborah have worked so hard to bring this unique line of clothing into existence? Deborah, who has two daughters, sums it up: “We both just love kids! And, it seems unacceptable that life for children who have disabilities and those who care for them should be any more difficult than it has to be!”