Los Angeles: Barbie has launched its first-ever doll with Down’s syndrome in bid to make its range more diverse.
The new doll is part of Mattel Barbie Fashionistas line, which aims to offer kids more diverse representations of beauty and fight the stigma around physical disabilities, CNN reported.
For the newest Barbie doll, Mattel (MAT) said it closely worked with the National Down Syndrome Society on the doll’s shape, features, clothing, accessory and packaging to ensure that it accurately represents a person with Down syndrome.
The genetic condition affects cognitive ability, causing mild to severe learning disabilities and distinctive facial characteristics.
“This means so much for our community, who for the first time, can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them,” Kandi Pickard, NDSS president and CEO said in a statement, adding, “This Barbie serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of representation. It is a huge step forward for inclusion and a moment that we are celebrating.”
The first Barbie doll with Down syndrome has been unveiled.
The release of the new design “continues to expand on inclusion in doll play,” says Lisa McKnight, the global head of Barbie and Dolls for toy maker Mattel. pic.twitter.com/9KsNXlBfmD
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 25, 2023
The doll is dressed in patterns and symbols associated with the Down syndrome community and orthotic sneakers sometimes worn by people with the disorder.
This version of Barbie doll has garnered praise from netizens.
“That’s very sweet of Mattel and Barbie,” a social media user wrote.
“It is nice they are trying to be inclusive,” another one wrote.
For decades after its debut in 1959, Barbie dolls continued to be light-skinned — white, slender and blonde, with a very narrow waist, ample bosom and always teetering on impossibly high heels.
Finally, in 2016, as it faced softening sales of the doll, Mattel crafted Barbie into a more realistic depiction by making the newer dolls more inclusive and diverse in their appearance.
Barbie was reintroduced in four body types and seven skin tones, with 22 eye colours and 24 hairstyles.
