Durban — A blind Barbie has been added to the doll selection, allowing more children to tell stories through play.
Mattel, Inc. announced the addition of a blind Barbie doll, created to enable even more children to find a doll that represents them and inspire all children to tell more stories through play.
The launch, representing those with visual impairment, is supported by the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, who enable the visually and physically impaired members of our society to live an independent life through freedom of movement and the acquisition of skills required to live a full participatory life.
“We recognise that Barbie is much more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging,” said Barbie senior vice-president and Dolls global head Krista Berger.
“We proudly introduce a new blind Barbie doll to our Barbie Fashionistas line, reinforcing our commitment to creating products that represent global belonging and inclusivity in the doll aisle.”
South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind strategic and corporate partnerships head Tanya Schönwald said: “Inclusion and diversity are no longer concepts, it is actions and through the launch of the visually impaired Barbie, Mattel, Inc. has proven the impact of collaboration on social impact. Including a visually impaired Barbie will undoubtedly ease the discomfort that so many visually impaired children face. And it will, in young minds, bring about the change in society that is so desperately needed.
“Soon enough, inclusion will not be considered or debated, it will naturally occur because younger generations have not been taught to distinguish. We are proud to have travelled part of this journey with Mattel, Inc.”
Barbie partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), an organisation dedicated to creating a world of endless possibilities for individuals with blindness and low vision, to ensure details of the blind Barbie doll, including face sculpt, fashion, accessories, packaging experience and e-commerce communication, accurately depict individuals with blindness or low vision.
“It was an honour to collaborate with Barbie on the development of the blind Barbie doll,” said AFB chief executive and president Eric Bridges.
“By increasing representation and promoting awareness about the experiences of blind individuals and those with low vision, our shared goal is to inspire boundless opportunities for everyone, ultimately leading to a world of greater accessibility and inclusion.”
Counselled by AFB, Barbie was committed to representing individuals with blindness and low vision throughout all stages of the design process, from the doll’s sculpt to the dress pattern:
Accessories: The doll comes with a white and red cane with an identifiable marshmallow tip and includes stylish and functional sunglasses. With some blind or low-vision individuals sensitive to light, the lens provides additional eye protection.
Elbow articulations: The blind Barbie doll includes elbow articulations to ensure comfortable cane use.
Textured and vibrant fabrics: Barbie conducted testing with blind and low-vision children to ensure that the doll provided an accessible and satisfying play experience for kids with blindness or low vision. With AFB’s guidance, Barbie designed the doll’s fashion to include a satiny pink blouse with a textured ruffle skirt for tactile interest. Additional details include brightly coloured high-contrast hook and loop fasteners for closure on the back of the doll’s top and an elastic skirt waistband to make swapping outfits easier.
Packaging and design: Barbie worked with AFB to create accessible packaging for the doll, including the placement and writing of “Barbie” in braille on the package.
Eye gaze: The doll is designed with an eye gaze facing slightly up and out to reflect the sometimes distinct eye gaze of a blind individual accurately.
Doll play has proven to help develop empathy and social processing skills among children, fuelling social skills needed to excel in their futures as they imagine they can be anything. As the brand’s most diverse doll line, the Barbie Fashionistas series offers 175+ looks in various skin tones, eye colours, hair colours and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions. This includes dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or a prosthetic limb, a doll with hearing aids and a doll without hair. The 2024 Fashionistas dolls aim to advance Barbie’s continued goal of reflecting a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion, allowing more children to see their world reflected through play.
Additionally, to celebrate the launch, Barbie is also collaborating with accessible fashion brand Aille Design on a Barbie-inspired collection, featuring pieces with braille beadwork. Details include Barbie’s original black and white herringbone pattern on a slip dress, a black neck scarf and a classic T-shirt in a hue of iconic Barbie pink, each featuring Aille’s signature design footprint, braille text using Swarovski crystal pearls, throughout each design.
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