Barbie is expanding her crew of friends, as Mattel is releasing a new variety of inclusive dolls as part of their BARBIE Fashionistas collection.
Coming out this June, there will be a new generation of BARBIE, which features dolls with disabilities as well as different skin tones, hair textures and body types.
“As a brand, we can elevate the conversation around physical disabilities by including them into our fashion doll line to further showcase a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion,” Mattel said in a statement.
From MASHABLE:
The company said that fans frequently requested a wheelchair accessory. To ensure the toy wheelchair accurately represented the real thing, Mattel worked with UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital as well as wheelchair experts.
The wheelchair is designed like those used by people with a permanent physical disability and can be paired with any of the dolls from the flexible and pose-able Made to Move line. Mattel will also sell a wheelchair ramp.
The doll with a removable prosthetic limb is the result of a collaboration between Mattel and 13-year-old Jordan Reeves, founder of the nonprofit organization Born Just Right, which develops “creative solutions that help kids with disabilities live a more enjoyable life.”
Here is Jordan talking more about “limb-difference” and why having toys that represent these folks is so important.
The upcoming doll will have an articulated body so she can easily sit in the chair, but other dolls within the Made to Move line can also be used with the wheelchair. The doll, wheelchair, and compatible DreamHouse ramp will sell for about $19.99.
Susan Saunders 2/12/19
