PREVIEW

The first ever blind Barbie doll has been launched by Mattel. British broadcaster and disability activist Lucy Edwards who lost her sight at 17 features in a campaign with the new doll. Barbie partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to ensure details of the blind Barbie doll accurately depict individuals with blindness or low vision. The doll comes with a white and red cane with an identifiable marshmallow tip and includes stylish and functional sunglasses. Mattel also conducted testing with blind and low-vision children to ensure that the doll provided an accessible and satisfying play experience for kids with blindness or low vision. As such, Barbie designed the doll’s fashion to include a satiny pink blouse with a textured ruffle skirt for tactile interest. Additional details include a brightly coloured high-contrast hook and loop fasteners for closure on the back of the doll’s top, as well as an elastic skirt waistband to make swapping outfits easier. The doll is also designed with an eye gaze facing slightly up and out to accurately reflect the sometimes-distinct eye gaze of a blind individual. Lucy lost sight in her right eye at 11 years old, before losing her full eyesight at 17 to a rare genetic disease named Incontinentia Pigmenti. She says: “To see the most well-known doll in the world introduce a blind Barbie makes me feel so seen. “As a teenager, I felt isolated by losing my eyesight and not seeing role models like me. 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”.