Three years ago, when Team Canada appeared at the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the athletes were dressed in sleek white jeans. They may have looked good, but for some Paralympians on the team, they were a challenge.

For Alison Levine , for example. The para athlete, who competes in the sport of boccia, couldnt wear jeans because in a wheelchair, they dug into her skin. They lacked an elastic waistband, and were difficult to take on and off.

There was no way I was getting those on, says Levine, who had to go find something else herself that would work, and not look too different. You dont want to look different because of your disability, Levine says. You dont want it to be, Team Canada plus you guys.

Things are different this year. At the Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris, Levine and teammates wore bright red jackets with features like magnetic closures that make it easier for everyone, disabled or not. And there was an option of a seated carpenter pant that was designed with Levine in mind even called the Alison pant.

Levine sees the design process, in which apparel company Lululemon started interviewing her and others for guidance three years ago, as a meaningful advance not only in Olympics attire but in the broader area of whats known as adaptive or inclusive fashion, in which fashion labels are starting albeit slowly to respond to the needs of disabled people, and recognize that theyre an important economic force.