Just about a year after Greta Gerwig’s iconic “Barbie” movie hit the airwaves, Mattel has introduced some new historic dolls to its world-renowned catalog.
Today, shoppers can bring home their own Blind Barbie — the first in existence.
As part of the brand’s 65th anniversary Fashionista line, the doll was created in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind to ensure that the doll accurately depicts individuals with blindness or low vision.
Counseled by AFB, this newest Barbie iteration includes some key characteristics, including:
- A white and red cane with a “marshmallow tip” (and elbow articulations that make it easy to navigate with the cane)
- Sunglasses that are both functional and stylish
- Textured and vibrant fabrics, chosen after testing with blind and low-vision children who enjoyed the textile and high-contrast play experience of this Barbie’s clothes
- Velcro fasteners and elastics to help make dressing the doll easier
- ‘Barbie’ written in Braille on the packaging of the doll
- A thoughtfully designed eye gaze facing slightly up and out to reflect the “sometimes-distinct” eye gaze of a blind individual
“It was an honor to collaborate with Barbie on the development of the blind Barbie doll,” said Eric Bridges, CEO and president of AFB, in a statement.
“By increasing representation and promoting awareness about the experiences of blind individuals and those with low vision, our shared goal is to inspire boundless opportunities for everyone, ultimately leading to a world of greater accessibility and inclusion.”
This new Fashionista line also includes a Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome.
The first Barbie with Down syndrome was introduced by Mattel in 2023 and was created in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society.
For this new member of the Barbie family, NDSS once again worked with toy designers, connecting Barbie with a focus group of Black individuals from the Down syndrome community.
“NDSS is thrilled to introduce a second Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Having this doll launched alongside the new Barbie doll with Blindness marks another important step in expanding representation for the disability community,” said Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of NDSS, in a statement.
“We are proud to partner with Barbie as they grow to reflect our diverse and beautiful world.”
With the help of NDSS and its focus group, Barbie designers chose key characteristics to include, such as:
- Accurate physical representations of people with Down syndrome, including a shorter frame, longer torso, and low muscle tone
- A single line in the doll’s palms, a characteristic often associated with people with Down syndrome
- Rounder shape, smaller ears, and a flat nasal bridge in the face sculpt of the doll
- Braided hair texture, one of the key features requested of the Black Down syndrome community
- Blue and yellow colors and symbols to represent Down syndrome awareness in Barbie’s outfit
- Pink eyeglasses, representing individuals with Down syndrome who often experience vision difficulties
These small details seem subtle but are deeply important to the communities they represent.
“We recognize that Barbie is much more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging,” Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls, said in a statement.
“We proudly introduce a new blind Barbie doll and Black doll with Down syndrome to our Barbie Fashionistas line, reinforcing our commitment to creating products that represent global belonging and inclusivity in the doll aisle.”
One of the first people to meet these new Barbie dolls was Lucy Edwards, a disability activist and British broadcaster who is Blind and appears in Barbie’s new marketing campaign as an ambassador for the doll.
Edwards told the Guardian that the launch of the doll “means everything to me.”
“As a teenager, I felt isolated by losing my eyesight and not seeing role models like me,” she continued. “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.”
Along with these new additions to the 2024 Barbie Fashionistas line, the series includes more than 175 looks that feature a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities, and fashions.
The collection includes dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, a doll with hearing aids, and a doll without hair.
All Barbies in the Fashionista collection, including the new Blind Barbie and Black Barbie with Down syndrome are available to purchase for $10.99 each.
“We are delighted to introduce these dolls…” Burger continued, “to further our mission for every young girl to feel represented and celebrated through Barbie.”
For women of all ages — like Edwards — the new doll appears to be a resounding success.
“I literally cannot believe this! The most popular doll in the world has a long white cane,” Edwards said in a video. “It is cool to be disabled and it is cool to be blind.”
Header images courtesy of Mattel
