Fashion is a €354 billion industry, yet for 30 million Europeans with significant vision impairments, it remains out of reach. Touch'n Match responds to this gap in a practical and innovative way. Developed across Romania, Poland, and Austria and with blind and partially sighted people involved as co-creators, the project builds tools and know-how that make fashion more accessible.
Rethinking fashion
At the heart of the project is an AI-powered fashion assistant developed by Asociația Alfabetul Scripor. It translates colours, textures, and outfit combinations into voice guidance, audio cues, and tactile symbols using the Scripor tactile colour alphabet. In practice, this allows blind and partially sighted users to explore style independently, put together outfits, and make their own choices without relying on sighted assistance.
Designed with users
The Chance Foundation - We Are Together plays a central role in the project’s inclusive and participatory approach, ensuring that blind and partially sighted participants are actively involved as co-creators. Through workshops in Poland, Romania, and Austria, participants test and shape the app while working hands-on with fabrics, textures, and colour combinations alongside professional stylists. This ensures that the final solution reflects real user needs and lived experiences.
Fashion show by, with and for the blind and visually impaired people
The project will culminate in an inclusive fashion show at the Transilvania Fashion Festival, where visually impaired participants will take on roles as stylists, models, and creative contributors. It will also deliver a tool that, long after the show, lets them get dressed on their own terms.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
