“More Than Just a Doll”: Mattel Releases First Blind Barbie

Barbie launched in 1959 and has come a long way since then, with an array of diverse dolls in the lineup. Most recently, Mattel released the first blind Barbie, made in collaboration with the American Foundation for the Blind.
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“Barbie is all about joy — about discovering and understanding the world through play — and it’s wonderful to think that children with a vision impairment can now play with a Barbie that looks like them,” Debbie Miller, director of customer advice and support at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, told CNN.
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The doll goes beyond representation, though, featuring details that make it more accessible. For example, Blind Barbie’s box has Braille lettering and her outfit is made with tactile fabric to provide a “satisfying play experience for kids with blindness or low vision,” per a press release.
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Mattel also released the first Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome, part of the same Fashionistas collection as Blind Barbie. “We recognize that Barbie is much more than just a doll,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls. “She represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging.”