Barbie maker Mattel has unveiled its first doll that uses hearing aids so that more children can “see themselves reflected in the product,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The doll is part of the various Fashionistas 2022 line of the toy company and will be available to the public from June.
The Barbie doll, first introduced in March 1959, is now presented in more than 175 aspects or styles, with different body types, skin tones, hairstyles and textures and disabilities.
Other dolls in the new Fashionistas collection include a Ken doll with vitiligo, a condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells, making it appear with spots. The line also includes a doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie that uses a wheelchair, and male dolls that are less muscular than the original Ken doll.
Mattel
The new batch of dolls is “the most diverse and inclusive in the company to date,” a company spokesman said in a statement.
“It’s important for children to be reflected in the product and encourage play with dolls that don’t look like them to help them understand and celebrate the importance of inclusion,” said Lisa McKnight, global manager of Barbie Dolls. of Mattel.
Mattel consulted with medical experts to make sure he accurately represented the hearing aids behind the doll’s ear.
She had the support of Dra. Jen Richardson, an expert in the field of educational audiology.
“As an educational audiologist with over 18 years of experience working in defense of hearing loss, it’s inspiring to see those who suffer from hearing loss reflected in a doll, “Richardson said.” I’m more than excited for my young patients to see and play with a doll that looks like them. “
In 2021, Barbie debuted with a similar doll from one of the creators of the Oxford / AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Professor Sarah Gilbert.
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