On Monday, July 22, a blind Barbie doll was introduced to the world of toy stores by Toy Company Mattel, in a move to make the doll more inclusive and representative.
Originally, Barbie had ‘traditional’ beauty standards, with the ‘classic’ Barbie being blond and loving dresses and the color pink. However, through Mattel’s effort, they have created not only the blind Barbie doll, but also the first Black Barbie with Down Syndrome. Making new dolls that represent the diversity of the community will help everyone feel included and not discriminated against.
The blind Barbie doll was designed with the help of the American Foundation of the Blind (AFB), and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to create a doll that represents the difficulties of being blind. The doll has a white and red cane with a soft tip to represent how some blind people get around, using the cane to feel around them, and sunglasses on her head to protect her eyes. She also has bright and textured fabrics and Velcro fastenings on clothing. Her eyesight has been designed to look up and beyond to show the gaze of a blind individual.
Toy Company Mattel created the doll after facing years of criticism for only creating dolls with traditional beauty standards and being non-inclusive. Later on, in 2009, Mattel introduced the Fashionistas dolls, some of which had prosthetic legs, different disabilities, that prioritized inclusivity.
“When I was growing up I would have only dreamed for this moment to come,” Lucy Edwards, a disability activist and blind broadcaster, said. “To be accepted so much that the most popular doll in the world now has a visual impairment and looks like me.” It is important to be inclusive to make sure that people do not feel alone and discriminated against. Mattel is still continuing to create new toys and dolls that strive for inclusiveness, representing different parts of the world and people that live with various disabilities and illnesses.
Article Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cw9yvj8q08zo
Originally, Barbie had ‘traditional’ beauty standards, with the ‘classic’ Barbie being blond and loving dresses and the color pink. However, through Mattel’s effort, they have created not only the blind Barbie doll, but also the first Black Barbie with Down Syndrome. Making new dolls that represent the diversity of the community will help everyone feel included and not discriminated against.
The blind Barbie doll was designed with the help of the American Foundation of the Blind (AFB), and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to create a doll that represents the difficulties of being blind. The doll has a white and red cane with a soft tip to represent how some blind people get around, using the cane to feel around them, and sunglasses on her head to protect her eyes. She also has bright and textured fabrics and Velcro fastenings on clothing. Her eyesight has been designed to look up and beyond to show the gaze of a blind individual.
Toy Company Mattel created the doll after facing years of criticism for only creating dolls with traditional beauty standards and being non-inclusive. Later on, in 2009, Mattel introduced the Fashionistas dolls, some of which had prosthetic legs, different disabilities, that prioritized inclusivity.
“When I was growing up I would have only dreamed for this moment to come,” Lucy Edwards, a disability activist and blind broadcaster, said. “To be accepted so much that the most popular doll in the world now has a visual impairment and looks like me.” It is important to be inclusive to make sure that people do not feel alone and discriminated against. Mattel is still continuing to create new toys and dolls that strive for inclusiveness, representing different parts of the world and people that live with various disabilities and illnesses.
Article Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cw9yvj8q08zo