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This study aimed to gain an in-depth and contextualized understanding of what impacted Scheier's commitment to addressing the apparel challenges of people with disabilities (PWDs) and how moral duty may have played a role in developing the adaptive design innovations used in the first-of-its-kind adaptive children's wear line.

To achieve this goal, the study used the duty orientation (DO) theory and the social model of disability (SMD) theory to conduct a case study investigating Mindy Scheier's commitment to addressing the apparel challenges facing PWDs.

The result of the case study revealed three dominant themes that aligned with the DO theory: (a) duty to all PWDs, (b) duty to sacrifice and fight against all odds and (c) duty to solve the apparel challenges facing PWDs. Using the DO and the SMD theories, the themes illustrated how moral duty impacted Scheier's sacrifice and feeling of personal responsibility to address and solve the apparel challenges facing all PWDs.

This study demonstrated how the DO theory contextualized the launch of adaptive apparel into the mainstream fashion industry and how the apparel industry seems to have transitioned from a medical model of disability approach to an SMD to address the apparel needs of PWDs.

The goal of this study was to explore the development of the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children through the collaboration of an adaptive apparel advocate and an apparel brand.

To achieve this goal, the study used the resource advantage (RA) and first-mover advantage theory to conduct a case study investigating the lived experiences of Mindy Scheier as she created the adaptive apparel movement and collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger® to launch the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children.

The result of the case study revealed two dominant themes: (1) “I am going to educate the entire industry” and (2) “You mean no mainstream brands have done this before?” Using RA theory and first-mover advantage theory, the themes illustrated the advocate's position as a key competitive resource, how she leveraged the key competitive resources with an apparel brand, and subsequently, how the brand, using the advocate as a key competitive resource, established a first-mover advantage in the adaptive apparel market to develop the first-of-its-kind mainstream adaptive apparel line for children in the marketplace.

This study demonstrated how RA theory could be applied to the partnership between an advocate and an apparel firm and how the key resources acquired and utilized by the advocate support a competitive advantage within the adaptive apparel marketplace.