How a toddler’s t-shirt can remind us what inclusion really means

I wasn’t born with a disability. At the age of 18, a spinal cord injury paralysed me from the neck down. But growing up, I never had to think about how representation matters because I saw myself reflected everywhere—movies, television shows, advertisements—they’re all filled with young, able-bodied people. 

For children who grow up with disabilities, it’s different. They rarely see themselves in these places.

Recently, an American colleague shared a story about her daughter’s t-shirt. Sized for an 18-month-old, it was a baby gift from family friends who took the “they’ll-grow-into-it mindset” to the extreme. The little grey shirt features colourful anthropomorphised hearts at play. Two whizz by on skateboards—one wearing glasses—while the third zips along in a wheelchair. 

My colleague packed the shirt for a recent trip home, where it made its debut. Of all her daughter’s clothing, it’s attracted the most attention. Numerous people have commented on it, with many simply saying, “That’s a nice shirt.”

The maker of this much-admired shirt? Cat & Jack, the popular children's brand from Target—a company that recently announced major rollbacks to its DE&I initiatives.

A brand that got inclusion right

Target launched Cat & Jack in 2016 as a reinvention of its children’s line, replacing previous lines with something fresh and trendy. The timing coincided with the introduction of the company’s first comprehensive DE&I strategy, aligning this new inclusive children’s brand with broader DE&I objectives.

From the get-go, Cat & Jack set out to create clothes for all kids—including those with disabilities. Following inclusive design practices, the team spoke directly to more than 1,000 children from diverse backgrounds about their needs and preferences. They also heard from parents about their struggle to find quality, affordable clothing that met those needs.

Because of what they learned, Cat & Jack introduced a sensory-friendly collection just a year later. Designed specifically for children with autism and sensory-processing sensitivities, this range went beyond the brand’s already soft cotton knits, incorporating heat-transferred labels (instead of scratchy tags), flat seams and one-dimensional graphic tees that don’t irritate sensitive skin.

In 2018, the brand continued its “designing for all” journey, introducing adaptive clothing for toddlers and children with physical impairments. Affordable, fashionable adaptive clothing was scarce, so Target’s designers created trendy clothes with practical features: side and back snaps, hidden velcro, discreet abdominal openings, zip-off sleeves and more—making dressing easier for kids and parents alike. Keeping affordability in mind, the pieces debuted with prices ranging from $4.50 to $39.99. 

The icing on the cake came in 2019 when Target introduced adaptive and sensory-sensitive Halloween costumes. Historically, many parents in the disability community have had to make costumes themselves so their kids could share in the magic of dressing up. Target started small, adapting four popular costumes—a shark, unicorn, princess and pirate—and adding wheelchair covers like pirate ships and royal chariots. They’ve expanded their offerings each year since.

A profitable idea: Designing clothes with every kid in mind

Cat & Jack has been an enormous success for Target, both financially and in building customer loyalty. Recognising that parents consistently spend more than shoppers without children, Target strategically entered the thriving $55 billion US children’s clothing market. By consulting a diverse range of users and addressing previously unmet needs (like adaptive clothing), the company attracted a wider audience and deepened brand loyalty.

Its success demonstrated the business case for inclusion. Less than 18 months after launch, Cat & Jack surpassed $2 billion in sales, becoming one of Target’s biggest private labels almost overnight. Growth continued, with annual sales exceeding $3 billion in 2024. Last year, Target sold about 300 million Cat & Jack items—enough for every American child under 12 to own roughly eight pieces. In 2024, Cat & Jack also expanded internationally, with Hudson’s Bay, Canada’s oldest department store, exclusively selling the brand nationwide.

Cat & Jack’s inclusive approach to fashion has also won widespread praise. From the start, the brand prioritised authentic representation in its advertising, featuring kids of different backgrounds, body types and abilities. Advertisements regularly include children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, wheelchair users and more, all without tokenism. The company normalised inclusion as just another part of its family-friendly marketing campaign. The public responded enthusiastically, sharing emotional viral videos and stories of parents and children experiencing meaningful representation—often for the first time—and demonstrating the profound impact of feeling visible and included.

DE&I rollbacks: What’s really at stake?

In January 2025, Target announced it would end its formal DE&I goals and programmes, citing the evolving external landscape. The backlash has been significant—more so than other companies who’ve made similar moves. The public’s intense response likely stems from feeling betrayed by a company with a long history of championing inclusivity. 

So far, Target has maintained its disability inclusion efforts in practice. The Cat & Jack section of its website still prominently offers “Adaptive Clothing”, and there’s no indication that it intends to scale back on its inclusive advertising and imagery. In its public statement announcing the rollbacks, Target even reaffirmed its commitment to creating “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all.”

In reality, Target might simply be attempting to sidestep the political lightning rod of DE&I branding, dialling back its public image as an inclusivity trailblazer. Even as it steps away from openly championing these values, the company could still quietly maintain inclusive product development, advertising and hiring practices.

The problem with this approach, of course, is that truly inclusive developments happen when companies embrace—rather than shy away from—their core values. Cat & Jack’s adaptive fashion and inclusive marketing provided tangible evidence of Target’s stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Target should be proud of the achievements resulting from this commitment—both financial success and social impact. As a company, they should confidently say, “This is what DE&I actually looks like.”

You know that video of the little boy with wide eyes and an ear-splitting smile, saying “There’s a girl in a wheelchair just like me?” That’s diversity.

Remember the Easter advertisement with a child with Down syndrome nonchalantly playing alongside all the other kids? That’s equity.

Or that mom who cried in the aisle when her six-year-old son with cerebral palsy started clapping and signing excitedly after spotting a poster of a boy with a walker? That’s inclusion.

And who could forget two-year-old Oliver staring intently from his wheelchair at a clothing advertisement while his mother tears up in gratitude because he never sees kids like him. That’s the power of DE&I in action.

The true cost of Target’s DE&I retreat might be measured by what the company does or doesn’t do next. Will it launch another adaptive clothing line or produce another groundbreaking inclusive advert? Or will it become cautious and hesitant? Progress happens when people committed to these values stay at the table. Will the company be able to retain the talent behind these beloved products?  It’s worth noting that a quick LinkedIn search reveals that one of the lead designers behind Cat & Jack’s inclusive lines is actively “seeking new opportunities.”

Cat & Jack remains a bright spot, embodying Target’s inclusive brand legacy. But will its shift to “DE&I neutrality” ultimately weaken that legacy? Target is missing an opportunity to reinforce that legacy through stakeholder education about the tangible outcomes of DE&I efforts.

Because when people say, “I loved that advertisement,” “That video made me cry,” or even simply, “That’s a nice shirt,” what they’re really saying is, “It makes me happy that a designer thought about kids with disabilities and made them feel included.”

What they’re really saying is, “I believe in DE&I”—they just might not know it yet.