New
New
Year 5

Accessible textile products

I can define the needs of the user within a design specification.

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New
New
Year 5

Accessible textile products

I can define the needs of the user within a design specification.

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Accessible textiles use empathic design to meet the needs of all users.
  2. Design specifications ensure products are inclusive and address user needs.

Keywords

  • Accessible - easy to use

  • Empathy - understanding others' feelings and experiences when designing

  • Utility - useful and functional

  • Specifications - a list of things a product must have or do

  • User - who you are designing the product for

Common misconception

Textile products are only designed for fashion.

Textile products can also serve functional and practical purposes, such as accessibility and user needs.


To help you plan your year 5 design and technology lesson on: Accessible textile products, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to think beyond fashion by exploring real-world examples of accessible textiles, such as adaptive clothing or sensory-friendly fabrics, to help them understand the importance of empathic design.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Worksheet, pens/pencils, examples of accessible textile products (see additional materials document) as well as examples of products that could be made more accessible to aid discussion.

Content guidance

  • Exploration of objects

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
How are textiles made?
Correct answer: by weaving threads
by knotting threads
by twisting threads
by dyeing threads
Q2.
Which of these is a product?
an idea or concept
a diagram or drawing
Correct answer: something made to be used
an environmental impact
Q3.
A product is designed to meet the needs of the .
Correct Answer: user, users
Q4.
Which of these is NOT part of the design process?
writing design specifications
Correct answer: buying the product
drawing a diagram
making prototypes
Q5.
What are design specifications?
an initial idea
a detailed drawing
Correct answer: a list of things a product should have or do
a product prototype
Q6.
What does the word 'access' mean?
to buy something
to own something
to leave something
Correct answer: to be able to use or enter something

4 Questions

Q1.
The meaning of the word 'empathy' is said to be like putting yourself in someone else's ...
clothes
Correct answer: shoes
school
house
Q2.
What does the word 'accessible' mean?
having a function
fashionable
Correct answer: easy to use
recycled
Q3.
Which of these is a synonym of the word 'utility'?
Correct answer: useful
worthless
fashionable
adapted
Q4.
Match these parts of a design specification.
Correct Answer:function,what a product is designed to do

what a product is designed to do

Correct Answer:user,who will use the product

who will use the product

Correct Answer:performance,how the product will work

how the product will work

Correct Answer:appearance,what a product will look like

what a product will look like

Additional material

Download additional material