Toy manufacturing giant Mattel is adding to its effort of inclusivity following the introduction of its first “Blind Barbie.”
The new doll joins the “Fashionista line” to help Mattel consolidate their message of inclusivity within the Barbie world.
In an interview with People Magazine, CEO and president of the American Foundation for the Blind, Eric Bridges, commended the design profile of the doll as an accurate and considerate representation of a blind person.
“A lot of thoughtful consideration went into this by Mattel and also by [the AFB] providing the feedback that we were able to get to this point today,” he said regarding the process of creating the doll.
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Blind Barbie. File photo via MATTEL
“There’s been so much historical misrepresentation of people who are blind in the media,” Bridges said, adding, the “neat aspect of this is that there’s a cultural phenomenon to Barbie that everybody knows.”
He continued, “This has an added credibility and to help educate other little girls that may not be blind. And for those girls that are blind or have low vision, they get to hopefully see themselves in this doll.”
He also noted that the doll delivers a “cool factor” around the perceived fashion style of the visually impaired.
“Blind people are not thought of by society as fashionable or understanding fashion or knowing fashion and here, this Barbie is part of the fashionista line,” he says.