Mattel declares first-ever blind Barbie doll – Toy World Journal | The enterprise journal with a ardour for toysToy World Journal

Mattel is celebrating the arrival of the primary ever blind Barbie doll with British broadcaster and incapacity activist, Lucy Edwards. 

Mattel’s Barbie model has launched the primary blind Barbie doll. British broadcaster and incapacity activist Lucy Edwards, who misplaced her sight at 17, options in a marketing campaign with the brand new doll, created to permit much more youngsters to discover a doll that represents them and encourage all youngsters to inform extra tales by play.

Barbie partnered with the American Basis for the Blind (AFB) to make sure particulars of the blind Barbie doll, together with face sculpt, trend, equipment, packaging expertise and eCommerce communication, precisely depict people with blindness or low imaginative and prescient. Counselled by AFB, Barbie was dedicated to characterize people with blindness and low imaginative and prescient all through all levels of the design course of, from the doll’s sculpt to the costume sample.

Lucy Edwards stated: “To see essentially the most well-known doll on the planet introduce a blind Barbie makes me really feel so seen. As a teen, I felt remoted by shedding my eyesight and never seeing function fashions like me. I used to be embarrassed by my cane, however figuring out Barbie had a cane would have made me really feel so in a different way about mine and helped me really feel much less alone on my journey to simply accept and embrace my blindness. It means all the pieces to me.”

Within the UK, Barbie consulted Royal Nationwide Institute of Blind Folks (RNIB). Debbie Miller, director of Buyer Recommendation & Help on the Royal Nationwide Institute of Blind Folks, stated: “It’s great to assume that youngsters with a imaginative and prescient impairment can now play with a Barbie that appears like them. We’re so happy with the main points which have gone into designing this new Barbie – the tactile garments in addition to the cane and the sun shades. This can be a optimistic step ahead in serving to youngsters and adults with sight loss really feel like they belong and are recognised.”

Along with the introduction of the primary blind Barbie doll to the Barbie Fashionistas 2024 lineup, this yr, Barbie as soon as once more partnered with the Nationwide Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to introduce its subsequent doll with Down syndrome to the Barbie Fashionistas 2024 lineup.

Krista Berger, senior vice chairman of Barbie and world head of Dolls, commented: “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 characterize world belonging and inclusivity within the doll aisle.”

Barbie and NDSS labored collectively to make sure the Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome precisely mirrored and resonated with members of the Down syndrome neighborhood.

Because the model’s most numerous doll line, the Barbie Fashionistas sequence gives greater than 175 seems to be in a wide range of pores and skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, physique sorts, disabilities and fashions. This contains dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or a prosthetic limb, a doll with listening to aids and a doll with out hair.

“We’re delighted to introduce these dolls in partnership with the American Basis for the Blind and Nationwide Down Syndrome Society to additional our mission for each younger lady to really feel represented and celebrated by Barbie,” Krista continued.

The 2024 Fashionistas dolls, together with the blind Barbie doll and Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome, can be found now.