New Barbie doll: meet the blind friend in a pink world!
25 july 2024 в 01:13
Hello, Barbie! Get ready to meet a new girl entering the pink world. It has been a year since the Barbie movie conquered the world, and the selection of Barbie dolls from Mattel has become more inclusive than ever.
The toy company, which also created popular games such as Uno and Apples to Apples, has expanded the representation of Barbie, including various professions, body types, disabilities, and even a pregnant mother. Now, for the first time, Mattel has introduced a blind Barbie doll.
This new Barbie has tactile fabric and comes in packaging with Braille writing. She has honey-colored hair, a pink shirt, a purple skirt resembling a pack, matching heels, and glasses on her head. She holds a red and white cane to complete her look. Barbie shared the reason for her design on her social media: «Textured fabrics enhance the sensory experience, making fashionable elements more accessible with Braille packaging and a bendable elbow for easy cane use, making accessibility easier to show that we are all Barbie».
For a deeper understanding of the blind community, Mattel collaborated with charities such as the American Foundation for the Blind and the Royal National Institute for the Blind. In a statement published on CNN, consultant director Debbie Miller noted: «Barbie is all about joy — about exploring and understanding the world through play — and it’s wonderful to think that children with visual impairments can now play with a Barbie that looks like them».
Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Doll Lead, emphasized the importance of representation. She stated: «We understand that Barbie is not just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging».
Inclusivity has deeply impacted people’s lives, allowing them to see doll versions of themselves. Lucy Edwards, disability activist and blind presenter, shared on her Instagram story on Tuesday, July 23: «When I was growing up, I could only dream of this moment… To be accepted so much that the most popular doll in the world now has a visual impairment and looks like me. I still can’t believe I’m writing this, but the blind Barbie is here».
Barbie and Ken can also expect the appearance of a black Barbie doll with Down syndrome in Barbie Land in the near future
The toy company, which also created popular games such as Uno and Apples to Apples, has expanded the representation of Barbie, including various professions, body types, disabilities, and even a pregnant mother. Now, for the first time, Mattel has introduced a blind Barbie doll.
This new Barbie has tactile fabric and comes in packaging with Braille writing. She has honey-colored hair, a pink shirt, a purple skirt resembling a pack, matching heels, and glasses on her head. She holds a red and white cane to complete her look. Barbie shared the reason for her design on her social media: «Textured fabrics enhance the sensory experience, making fashionable elements more accessible with Braille packaging and a bendable elbow for easy cane use, making accessibility easier to show that we are all Barbie».
For a deeper understanding of the blind community, Mattel collaborated with charities such as the American Foundation for the Blind and the Royal National Institute for the Blind. In a statement published on CNN, consultant director Debbie Miller noted: «Barbie is all about joy — about exploring and understanding the world through play — and it’s wonderful to think that children with visual impairments can now play with a Barbie that looks like them».
Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Doll Lead, emphasized the importance of representation. She stated: «We understand that Barbie is not just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging».
Inclusivity has deeply impacted people’s lives, allowing them to see doll versions of themselves. Lucy Edwards, disability activist and blind presenter, shared on her Instagram story on Tuesday, July 23: «When I was growing up, I could only dream of this moment… To be accepted so much that the most popular doll in the world now has a visual impairment and looks like me. I still can’t believe I’m writing this, but the blind Barbie is here».
Barbie and Ken can also expect the appearance of a black Barbie doll with Down syndrome in Barbie Land in the near future
© Smirnova Olga
