On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on a TechTO stage in 2020. Every TechTO talk is searchable — ask the archive about Alexa ↗
In their words
All of our industries have led us to believe that individuals with disabilities aren't consumers, and that creating accessible products is just too expensive and takes too long.
For many blind individuals, the fear of looking blind, or being considered blind by other individuals, actually trumps the benefit of learning Braille — and it detracts them from learning Braille, something that could completely change the quality of their life.
I believe that good design shouldn't exclude anyone. And that goes for all of those individuals who have difficulty choosing their clothes due to low vision.
Quick answers
Who is Alexa Jovanovic?
The founder and CEO of Aille Design, a brand that beads fully legible braille into clothing. She studied fashion at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), where the idea started as a final-year research project, and launched the brand in 2020. She is from Niagara Falls, Ontario.
How did Aille Design start?
Jovanovic told the TechTO audience in 2020 that she was shopping, saw a piece of beaded clothing, and connected the size of small beads to braille dots — 'why couldn't all those beads be rearranged ever so slightly to create messages that are actually functional?' She interviewed women in the blind community about their challenges with clothing, and the research project became a brand.
What did Alexa Jovanovic speak about at TechTO?
She spoke in February 2020 on designing fashion that works through touch. Her argument was that inclusive design is also business: adaptive lines from Nike, Target, Tommy Hilfiger and Zappos already existed, but she wanted one line rather than two — adaptive features built into clothing sighted customers would buy anyway.