Mattel, the California-based toy giant, is set to release a new Barbie doll with Down syndrome this month as part of its popular Fashionistas line. This marks the first time the company has released a doll with Down syndrome, and it joins existing dolls with behind-the-ear hearing aids, a wheelchair, alopecia and a prosthetic limb in the company’s heavily diversity and inclusion-focused line. The 2023 collection will also feature a new Fashionista doll wearing braces and a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg.
Mattel, the California-based toy giant, is set to release a new Barbie doll with Down syndrome this month as part of its popular Fashionistas line. This marks the first time the company has released a doll with Down syndrome, and it joins existing dolls with behind-the-ear hearing aids, a wheelchair, alopecia and a prosthetic limb in the company’s heavily diversity and inclusion-focused line. The 2023 collection will also feature a new Fashionista doll wearing braces and a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg.
To ensure the doll accurately depicted Down syndrome, Mattel collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society. This involved input from individuals with Down syndrome, parents and siblings, as well as other community stakeholders. The doll has a unique body sculpt intended to be reflective of women with Down syndrome, including a shorter frame and longer torso. Its face sculpt features a rounder shape, smaller ears, eyes that are slightly slanted in an almond shape and a flat nasal bridge. There is even a single line on the doll’s palms – a physical characteristic commonly associated with Down syndrome.
The doll’s puff-sleeved dress pattern features the butterflies and yellow and blue colors associated with Down syndrome awareness. Its pink pendant necklace has three upward chevrons to represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome – the genetic material that causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome – and symbolize community awareness and identity. The doll also wears pink ankle foot orthotics, which children with Down syndrome often wear to support their feet and ankles.
Commenting on the co-design process that brought the Down syndrome doll to life, Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, said, “We knew that if we were going to release a Barbie doll with Down syndrome, we had to do it right. The development of the doll spanned over a year from when we first began talking to the National Down Syndrome Society, the perfect and most authentic partner to collaborate with us on this doll.”
Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2023/04/25/mattel-introduces-new-barbie-with-down-syndrome-into-its-fashionistas-doll-line/
