Nearly a 12 months after Greta Gerwig’s iconic “Barbie” film hit the airwaves, Mattel has launched some new historic dolls to its world-renowned catalog.
Right now, buyers can deliver residence their very own Blind Barbie — the primary in existence.
As a part of the model’s sixty fifth anniversary Fashionista line, the doll was created in partnership with the American Basis for the Blind to make sure that the doll precisely depicts people with blindness or low imaginative and prescient.
Endorsed by AFB, this latest Barbie iteration contains some key traits, together with:
- A white and pink cane with a “marshmallow tip” (and elbow articulations that make it simple to navigate with the cane)
- Sun shades which can be each purposeful and classy
- Textured and vibrant materials, chosen after testing with blind and low-vision kids who loved the textile and high-contrast play expertise of this Barbie’s garments
- Velcro fasteners and elastics to assist make dressing the doll simpler
- ‘Barbie’ written in Braille on the packaging of the doll
- A thoughtfully designed eye gaze dealing with barely up and out to mirror the “sometimes-distinct” eye gaze of a blind particular person
“It was an honor to collaborate with Barbie on the event of the blind Barbie doll,” stated Eric Bridges, CEO and president of AFB, in an announcement.
“By rising illustration and selling consciousness in regards to the experiences of blind people and people with low imaginative and prescient, our shared objective is to encourage boundless alternatives for everybody, in the end resulting in a world of larger accessibility and inclusion.”
This new Fashionista line additionally features a Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome.
The first Barbie with Down syndrome was launched by Mattel in 2023 and was created in partnership with the Nationwide Down Syndrome Society.
For this new member of the Barbie household, NDSS as soon as once more labored with toy designers, connecting Barbie with a spotlight group of Black people from the Down syndrome group.
“NDSS is thrilled to introduce a second Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Having this doll launched alongside the brand new Barbie doll with Blindness marks one other vital step in increasing illustration for the incapacity group,” stated Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of NDSS, in an announcement.
“We’re proud to companion with Barbie as they develop to mirror our numerous and exquisite world.”
With the assistance of NDSS and its focus group, Barbie designers selected key traits to incorporate, similar to:
- Correct bodily representations of individuals with Down syndrome, together with a shorter body, longer torso, and low muscle tone
- A single line within the doll’s palms, a attribute usually related to folks with Down syndrome
- Rounder form, smaller ears, and a flat nasal bridge within the face sculpt of the doll
- Braided hair texture, one of many key options requested of the Black Down syndrome group
- Blue and yellow colours and symbols to signify Down syndrome consciousness in Barbie’s outfit
- Pink eyeglasses, representing people with Down syndrome who usually expertise imaginative and prescient difficulties
These small particulars appear delicate however are deeply vital to the communities they signify.
“We acknowledge that Barbie is way more than only a doll; she represents self-expression and might create a way of belonging,” Krista Berger, senior vice chairman of Barbie and international head of dolls, stated in an announcement.
“We proudly introduce a brand new blind Barbie doll and Black doll with Down syndrome to our Barbie Fashionistas line, reinforcing our dedication to creating merchandise that signify international belonging and inclusivity within the doll aisle.”
One of many first folks to fulfill these new Barbie dolls was Lucy Edwards, a incapacity activist and British broadcaster who’s Blind and seems in Barbie’s new advertising and marketing marketing campaign as an envoy for the doll.
Edwards instructed the Guardian that the launch of the doll “means every part to me.”
“As a young person, I felt remoted by dropping my eyesight and never seeing position fashions like me,” she continued. “I used to be embarrassed by my cane — however realizing Barbie had a cane would have made me really feel so in another way about mine and helped me really feel much less alone on my journey to simply accept and embrace my blindness.”
Together with these new additions to the 2024 Barbie Fashionistas line, the collection contains greater than 175 seems that function a wide range of pores and skin tones, eye colours, hair colours and textures, physique varieties, disabilities, and fashions.
The gathering contains dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, a doll with listening to aids, and a doll with out hair.
All Barbies within the Fashionista assortment, together with the brand new Blind Barbie and Black Barbie with Down syndrome can be found to buy for $10.99 every.
“We’re delighted to introduce these dolls…” Burger continued, “to additional our mission for each younger lady to really feel represented and celebrated by Barbie.”
For girls of all ages — like Edwards — the brand new doll seems to be a powerful success.
“I actually can not imagine this! The preferred doll on the earth has an extended white cane,” Edwards stated in a video. “It’s cool to be disabled and it’s cool to be blind.”
Header pictures courtesy of Mattel
