The doll’s features are both intended to accurately reflect a blind person, as well as be engaging for children who are blind or have low vision.
ADVERTISEMENTHandbags, hats and even planes – what more could a (plastic) girl need? The list of accessories sold alongside Barbie has a new entry today: a white-and-red cane.
Designed in partnership with the UK’s Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Mattel’s first blind Barbie comes with a white-and-red cane and silver sunglasses, with one eye facing slightly up and out to reflect some blind people’s gaze.
As well as a bid to make children with vision loss more represented within toy collections – and society at large – the doll is made to be more engaging to people who are blind or have low vision. Textured clothing adds tactility, while loop fasteners on the back of the doll’s top, together with an elastic waistband, make it easier to dress the Barbie.
The packaging, too, is more accessible than the usual offering, with the word Barbie written in braille on the front of the box.
Krista Berger, the senior vice-president of Barbie and the global head of dolls at the US toymaker, said in a statement: “We recognise that Barbie is much more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging.”
“It’s wonderful to think that children with a vision impairment can now play with a Barbie that looks like them,” said Debbie Miller of RNIB, also praising the design details of the doll.
“It’s an acknowledgment that not everyone can see well, which means a lot to the blind and partially sighted community... helping children and adults with sight loss feel like they belong and are recognised,” she enthused.
In addition to its first blind Barbie, Mattel has also partnered with the US National Down Syndrome Society to launch its first Black doll with Down’s syndrome. This follows the release of a white doll with Down’s syndrome last year, and forms part of the broader ‘Barbie Fashionistas’ range, a line that features dolls with different disabilities, body shapes, hairstyles and skin tones.
