KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 25, 2020 – Stephanie Thomas,  a disability fashion styling expert, tastemaker and keynote speaker will discuss ‘Disabilities and Fashion’, Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., as part of the 2020 University of Rhode Island Honors Colloquium, “Challenging Expectations: Disability in the 21st Century.”

Guided by her Disability Fashion Styling System, Stephanie Thomas creates brands, footwear, and accessories for people with disabilities. For 26 years she’s researched clothing and retail trends exclusively for people with disabilities. She was honored by TED for her TEDx Talk. She was cited as one of the people who are breaking down barriers for people with disabilities.

The link to the virtual URI Honors Colloquium lecture, which is free and open to the public, can be found in the colloquium schedule on the day of the event next to Thomas’ name.

She is committed to using fashion as a tool to increase employment opportunities for actors and influencers with disabilities.. Thomas also serves on the Board of Directors of No Limits Media, and she volunteers for Dress for Success. Thomas is expanding the conversation around fashion and beauty by partnering with non-disability related brands like Beautycon Media and the Paris-based innovative fashion and technology hub, Look Forward, to name a few. Prior to working as a disability fashion styling expert, she worked in television and radio for more than a decade as an on-air personality and professional voice actor. She has been and continues to be the trusted voice of brands like JetBlue, Macy’s, Popeye’s, Hardees, McDonald’s, Elmer’s Glue, Miller Beer, Geico and more.

Today, Thomas uses her media experience to:

1. Create looks as a Los Angeles-based stylist exclusively for actors and influencers with disabilities.
2. Host the new podcast Twenty-Six and Counting…which refers to the number of years she’s followed the adaptive fashion sector and focuses on current trends affecting the industry today.
3. Challenge negative perceptions of people with disabilities as a keynote/panel speaker, cultural taste maker, and content creator.
4. Educates industry leaders that are interested in meeting the fashion and styling needs of people with disabilities.

Gianna Cardarelli, a University of Rhode Island Public Relations major and intern in its Department of Marketing and Communications, wrote this press release.