Kilt Freedom For Men In Wheelchairs

[kadalrymple]

Ron,

Having been an attendant for someone in a wheelchair, I would have to say that it would make things easier if a kilt were worn instead of pants. Not having to worry about having the pant legs twist up when adjusting position for starters... I definitely agree that unless the person has delicate skin, the pleats should be no more of a problem than the pockets on the back of a pair of jeans.

[NewKilt]

Mike Butler of Amerililts told me a few years back that he had several customers that bought them because they were confined to wheelchairs or had to spend large amount of time in wheel chairs. He said they also liked the attached sporran to put their stuff in.

I was thinking about what you said, Ron. The Amerikilt is light, the pleats are wide, and there's not that much material - maybe 3.5 to 4 yards even for a man of size.

It was my peripheral neuropathy and degenerative disc disease that got me into wearing kilts in the first place. Here's a link to an article th local paper did on me a few years back. I was trying to let other men with disabilities know that wearing a kilt could improve the quality of life. Mike Butler also added comments about kilt comfort. My collection is larger now - the addiction don't you know.

http://www.newstribune.com/articles/...6feature10.txt

Darrell

[Kiltman]

I wonder if a kingussie - or reverse kingussie with fewer, wider pleats might do the trick?

I immediately thought about the same thing. Either one should work and the center back pleat can be of any size that will make it easier. I also put pockets in my proto-type reverse kingussie. One time in Idaho I saw a young woman with a skirt that had only a few wide side pleats and the front was an apron and the back had a wide pleat. It's very interesting how many forms a kilted garment can take.

[SteveB]

During the six months of wheelchair experience after an accident, I found that putting the kilt on backwards provided the seating comfort, and the pleats provided the modesty requirements all by themselves. I was using one of my homemade kilts that I added some Velcro to the lower left of the under apron and under the outer apron that kept things together when I transferred into or out of the chair. BTW, I would spin it around to proper wear while upright for any length of time.

[Snowbear]

I have heard that some easy way of wearing a kilt while sitting in a wheelchair was getting a kilt with large box pleats. The one who told me had to wear a kilt for a wedding and found these pleats to actually be quite comfortable.