What Ikea’s Accessible Bathroom Range Can Teach Us About Inclusive Fashion

Ikea’s latest collection, Bäsingen, is technically a bathroom range. But scratch the surface, and it’s actually a masterclass in what inclusive, human-centered design looks like—without relying on separate categories or specialist labels.

The range features six functional items designed to support a wide variety of needs: a shower chair, two stools with grip rails, a towel rail, a toilet roll holder, and a shower shelf. Priced between £8 and £29, the products are simple, practical, and—importantly—stylish. They're made with non-slip materials, chunky grip handles, and a neutral dark tone chosen for high visibility that still looks chic in any home.

But here's what really matters: Ikea isn’t marketing this line only for disabled people. Instead, the Bäsingen collection is positioned as a thoughtful, beautiful solution for anyone—from older adults to people recovering from surgery to those managing chronic pain or fatigue. The brand is recognizing a truth long known to the disability community: inclusive design isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for a massive and growing segment of the population. And it benefits everyone.

This approach mirrors what we’re building with StyleAbility—a platform that aims to help people of all abilities and ages search and shop fashion that works for their needs, without being shunted into niche “adaptive” categories.

Too often in fashion, the default design is still based on an idealised, abled body. If your hands struggle with buttons, your skin is sensitive to seams, or your wheelchair affects the fit of a jacket—good luck finding something that works without scrolling through hundreds of options. That’s where StyleAbility steps in.

We’re not a separate fashion line
We’re a new way to search, filter, and shop mainstream fashion, powered by the features that really matter—like easy fastenings, softer fabrics, or silhouettes that accommodate different seated or standing positions. Users can build a personal profile that reflects their needs, style preferences, and body type, then get matched with clothing that reflects their lives.

Our belief is simple: fashion should fit you, not the other way around.
That means no more one-size-fits-all assumptions—and no more sidelining people into specialist-only options. Like Ikea, we’re focused on universal design that doesn’t segregate but instead integrates inclusive thinking into the core of how products are presented and found.

This shift towards mainstream inclusion was also explored at a recent London College of Fashion international conference, where Dr. Elizabeth Kealy-Morris, Dr. Kerri McBee-Black, and Dr. Jo Gooding led a workshop titled “Future Fashion Perspectives: Advancing Inclusivity Through Human-Centered Design.” The session underscored the importance of co-creation, lived experience, and empathetic design when developing products and services that work for real, diverse bodies.

Retailers are finally starting to understand that accessibility isn’t a specialist issue—it’s a mainstream one. The assistive furniture market hit nearly $5 billion in 2024, and fashion is poised for a similar transformation. But only if we move beyond the idea of “special” collections and into a new era of design that’s flexible, stylish, and fundamentally inclusive.

As Sarah Fager, Senior Designer at IKEA of Sweden AB, puts it:

“I hope people will enjoy Bäsingen products throughout different stages of life. Maybe they will use the products a bit less during certain periods, but they are always close at hand, ready to provide support.”

That philosophy is at the heart of both Bäsingen and StyleAbility:
Design that grows with you, supports you, and includes you—wherever life takes you next.