Barbie introduces first blind Barbie Fashionista doll, increasing representation and inclusivity

PNN

New Delhi (India), July 25: For this year’s Barbie Fashionistas global collection, Barbie has partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind to ensure that the doll designs are an accurate reflection of the community they are meant to represent.

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announced the addition of a blind Barbie doll to its lineup, with the goal of empowering more kids to find a doll that represents them and inspiring all kids to tell more stories through play.

“We recognize that Barbie is more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls. “We are proud to 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.”

Barbie partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), an organization whose mission is to create a world of possibilities for the blind and visually impaired, to ensure that the details of the Barbie blind doll, including the face sculpt, clothing, accessories, packaging and e-commerce communications, accurately reflect the blind and visually impaired.

With the advice of AFB, Barbie has committed to representing blind and visually impaired people throughout the design process – from the sculpture of the doll to the cut of the dress:

* Accessories: The doll comes with a white and red cane with a recognizable foam tip and includes stylish and functional sunglasses. For some people who are blind or have low vision and are sensitive to light, the lenses provide extra eye protection.

* Movable elbow joints: Blind Barbie doll has moveable elbow joints, allowing her to comfortably use her cane.

* Textured and Vibrant Fabrics: Barbie tested with blind and visually impaired children to ensure the doll provides accessible and rewarding play for children who are blind or visually impaired. Under AFB’s guidance, Barbie designed the doll’s fashion, which includes a satin pink blouse with a ruffled skirt for tactile interest. Additional details include brightly colored, high-contrast hook-and-loop fasteners on the back of the doll’s top, and an elastic waistband on the skirt to make it easy to switch outfits.

* Packaging & Design: Barbie worked with AFB to create accessible packaging for the doll, including adding the word “Barbie” in Braille to the packaging.

* Gaze: The doll is designed to gaze slightly upwards and outwards, faithfully replicating the sometimes distinct gaze of a blind person.

“It was an honor to partner with Barbie to create the Blind Barbie doll,” said Eric Bridges, CEO and president of the American Foundation for the Blind. “By increasing representation and promoting awareness of the experiences of people who are blind and visually impaired, our shared goal is to inspire limitless possibilities for everyone, ultimately leading to a world of greater accessibility and inclusion.”

In 2023, Barbie introduced the first Barbie doll with Down syndrome, which won the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year award from the Toy Association, USA. This year, Barbie once again partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to introduce another doll with Down syndrome to the 2024 Barbie Fashionistas lineup. Throughout the design process, Barbie and NDSS worked together to ensure that the Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome accurately reflected and resonated with members of the Down syndrome community. NDSS connected Barbie with a focus group of Black people from the Down syndrome community, including a young Black woman with Down syndrome, to review the doll’s sculpt, hair, fashion, and eyewear:

* Sculpting: Barbie worked with NDSS to accurately represent the physical characteristics of people with Down syndrome, including a shorter frame, longer torso and low muscle tone. Additionally, the doll’s hands feature a single line, a feature often associated with people with Down syndrome. Special attention was paid to the facial sculpting, which features a rounder shape, smaller ears and a flat nose bridge. The eyes are slightly slanted, almond-shaped, and you can see white dots in the iris.

* Hair: The doll has pigtails, which was one of the top features requested by the Down syndrome community.

* Fashion: Symbols are incorporated throughout the doll’s outfit, with the blue and yellow color palette representing Down Syndrome awareness. The three arrows in some of the hearts on the dress represent the third 21st chromosome that people with Down Syndrome have.

* Glasses: The doll also wears pink glasses, symbolizing people with Down syndrome, who often experience vision problems.

“NDSS is excited to introduce a second Barbie doll with Down syndrome. The launch of this doll alongside the new Barbie with blindness doll marks another important step in expanding representation for the disability community,” said Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of NDSS. “We are proud to partner with Barbie as they evolve to reflect our diverse and beautiful world.”

“We are thrilled to introduce these dolls in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Down Syndrome Society to continue our mission to make every young girl feel represented and celebrated through Barbie,” Berger continued.

Playing with dolls has been proven to help develop empathy and social processing skills in kids, fueling the social skills they need to succeed in the future as they imagine they can be anything. The Barbie Fashionistas line is recognized around the world for offering a diverse range of more than 175 looks that reflect different skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashion. The line includes dolls with vitiligo, dolls who use a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, a doll with hearing aids and a doll without hair. The 2024 Fashionistas dolls are designed to further Barbie’s ongoing goal of reflecting a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion, allowing more kids to see their world reflected through play.

The Fashionistas 2024 dolls, including a blind Barbie doll and a black Barbie doll with Down syndrome, will be available in India from August 2024 across toy stores – both online and offline.

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy company with one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Monster High and MEGA, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings span film and television content, games and digital experiences, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in partnership with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce companies. Since our founding in 1945, Mattel has been proud to be a trusted partner in enabling children to discover the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit our website atmattel.com.

About the American Foundation for the Blind

Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) advances equal opportunity and expands possibilities for people who are blind, deafblind, or visually impaired through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships. In addition to publishing the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), AFB is also the proud steward of the Helen Keller Archive, honoring the legacy of our most famous ambassador, who served AFB for more than 40 years. Learn more at www.afb.org.

About NDSS

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all people with Down syndrome. NDSS empowers people with Down syndrome and their families by providing resources, driving policy change, engaging in local communities, and shaping public perceptions. Founded in 1979, NDSS supports and advocates for the Down syndrome community by focusing on three key programming areas: Resources and Support, Policy and Advocacy, and Community Engagement. Within these areas, NDSS engages in a variety of activities, events, and programs on topics that are critical to our community, such as federal and state advocacy and public policy, health and wellness, education, and employment. NDSS creates resources to support people with Down syndrome, their families, and caregivers across the lifespan and hosts community events across the country, including the National Buddy Walk Program, the Times Square and New York City Buddy Walk video presentation, Racing for 3.21 for World Down Syndrome Day, Run for 3.21, and various other events. Visit www.ndss.org for more information.

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