- Mattel just announced a new Barbie doll with Down syndrome.
- Model Ellie Goldstein, who has Down syndrome, shared her excitement about the doll’s launch.
- “It means a lot to me that children can play with the doll and learn that we are all different,” Goldstein said.
Mattel has just announced that it will be releasing a Barbie doll with Down syndrome in its latest effort to be more inclusive.
Ellie Goldstein, a model who also has Down syndrome, shared her excitement about the new Barbie, saying that when she first saw the doll, “she was very excited and proud.”
“It means a lot to me that children can play with the doll and learn that we are all different,” Goldstein wrote in a instagram post shared Tuesday.
Goldstein, who was also chosen by the company to appear in a campaign announcing the newest doll, went on to say that “diversity is important as people need to see more people like me in the world and not hide.”
“Barbie will help make this happen,” she continued.
The 2023 Barbie Fashionista Doll Collection lineup.
mattel, inc.
Mattel worked with the National Down Syndrome Society to design the doll. according to a Press releaseThe new Barbie’s face is rounder in shape, with almond-shaped eyes, smaller ears, and a flat nose bridge.
“The palms of the wrists even include a single line, a feature often associated with people with Down syndrome.” mattel said.
The doll, which is currently available for pre-order in the UK, also has a shorter frame and longer torso than the other dolls in her Fashionista collection.
The doll wears a floral print dress that pays homage to colors typically associated with Down syndrome awareness, as well as a pink necklace with three upturned chevrons representing the three copies of chromosome 21 and pink foot and arm orthotics. ankles.
this is just the last step that Mattel is taking to make their Barbies more inclusive.
In September, the company launched a line in the UK that Featured dolls with hearing aids and prosthetics. The company has also released dolls that have wheelchairs and different body types, as well as new skin colors and hair textures.
“Our goal is to allow all children to see themselves in Barbie, while encouraging children to play with dolls that do not look like them,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls. at Mattel, at a declaration.
