Adaptista announces scholarship with British Academy of Fashion Design

Online fashion marketplace Adaptista has partnered with the British Academy of Fashion Design (BAFD) to launch a scholarship programme worth £8,000, aimed at encouraging people with disabilities to pursue an education in fashion design.

The programme was conceived by Adaptista founder Maria O’Sullivan-Abeyratne “to achieve meaningful change within the fashion industry by highlighting the need for representation and progression for disabled people within education and employment”. 

The collaboration between the firm and BAFD “aims to generate accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities and this scholarship programme is a big step towards this goal”, they said.

Prospective UK students are invited to apply for the scholarship by submitting a 500-word essay and moodboard via the Adaptista website by 31 March. Applicants must be over 18 years of age and there’s no upper age limit.

The partnership has also attracted corporate support with John Lewis White City offering a top-of-the-range sewing machine and Includability (an inclusive job board) donating a year of membership to Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft 365 to the successful applicant, as well as supporting the student with career mentoring and advice.