Runway of Dreams
Historically, people with disabilities have been underrepresented in many aspects of the fashion industry – from advertising to design itself. This was especially apparent to Mindy Scheier – a fashion designer and mother of a child with a disability, when she would have trouble finding clothing that her son could wear comfortably to school. She knew that, if she and her son struggled in this way, then millions of other individuals and families across the world would do so as well. Something had to change, and Scheier took it upon herself to make that change happen.
Scheier founded Runway of Dreams Foundation (RODF) in 2014, a non-profit organization that develops, delivers and supports charitable initiatives to broaden the reach of adaptive clothing and promote the differently-abled community in the fashion industry. RODF uses a multifaceted approach in their work, which includes processing adaptive clothing donations, creating employment opportunities with fashion brands, leading adaptive design workshops and providing scholarships to aspiring designers.
Runway of Dreams Foundation’s work to promote inclusion in the fashion industry has received praise from numerous national publications and organizations, including Fast Company®, People® and many more. Runway of Dreams Foundation has also worked with Tommy Hilfiger on some of its adaptable design programs and continues to promote inclusion to other major brands in the fashion industry.
The Arc is pleased to present the Runway of Dreams Foundation with the 2018 Catalyst Marketing Influencer of the Year.