By: Lauren Wu

On July 23, 2024, Mattel, the company that makes toys like American Girl dolls, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, and UNO released a blind Barbie doll. This was because they wanted to increase representation across its range of toys. Mattel partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in the United States, and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to design and make the new doll.

The Barbie doll is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler. Her design contains lots of features that will not only make her more realistically reflect a blind person, but is also fun for children who are blind or who have low vision to play with the doll.

This Barbie doll comes with a cane and sunglasses, and features textured clothing so children who are blind, or visually impaired, can feel the outfits she’s wearing. Her eyes will also look slightly up and out, to reflect some blind people’s gaze. And on the box she comes in, the word Barbie will be spelled in Braille, which is a language made of raised dots that blind people can feel to read.

Debbie Miller, from the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said, “We’re so pleased with the details that have gone into designing this new Barbie, the textured clothes as well as the cane and sunglasses.”

Broadcaster and disability rights activist from Birmingham, England, Lucy Edwards, campaigns to raise awareness of blindness and sight loss. She lost her eyesight when she was 17, and says, “I was embarrassed by my cane – but knowing Barbie had a cane would have made me feel so differently about mine and helped me feel less alone on my journey to accept and embrace my blindness.”

Source: Link-https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cw9yvj8q08zo
Link-https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cw9yvj8q08zo