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Posted Nov 2024
Introducing Blind Barbie
You may know that Mattel, the company that makes Barbie dolls, has now released a blind Barbie doll. Mattel partnered with the American Foundation For The Blind (AFB) and Royal National Institute Of Blind People (RNIB) to design the doll.
Mattel created the doll to make children with visual impairments feel more represented in society.
The doll includes features that more accurately represent a blind person, and also make the doll more interesting for visually impaired children to play with.
The doll holds a white and red cane with a marshmallow tip, and wears dark glasses. It also features textured clothing so that a visually impaired child can feel what she’s wearing. The clothing includes a pink satin t-shirt and purple tulle skirt. There are also loop fasteners on the back of the t-shirt, and an elastic waistband on the skirt, to make dressing the doll easier.
The doll’s eye gaze faces slightly up and out, because some blind people have this distinct eye gaze.
On top of all that, the box features Barbie written in Braille. How fantastic is that!
The doll and Henshaws
The BBC kindly reached out to us at Henshaws, inviting one of the young people we support to chat about the blind Barbie. We invited Elora, who was thrilled.
Elora was excited that there is now a blind Barbie doll. She loves Barbie, and said that finally there’s one like her!
Elora spoke to the BBC (two of the staff members she spoke to were also visually impaired). The BBC also gifted her a blind Barbie doll. She called it Brownie, because the hair and skin of the doll are like Elora’s favourite treat: brownies.
Elora loves the features of the blind Barbie including the cane and the glasses. She also loves being able to feel the materials and pattern of the clothing.
She describes Brownie as her new best friend. Brownie is her top choice to play with every time.
All of us at Henshaws say well done to Mattel for releasing a Barbie that visually impaired children can relate to.
