Blind Barbie is the latest addition to Mattel's increasingly diverse collection of dolls - and, with her cane and sunglasses, she's on a mission to help girls with blindness and low-vision feel less isolated.
The attractive new doll, which has the backing of British disability campaigner and broadcaster Lucy Edwards, 28, is available to buy online and in shops from today.
Lucy, who lost sight in her right eye at 11 before losing her full eyesight at 17, enthused: 'To see the most well-known doll in the world introduce a blind Barbie makes me feel so seen.'
The broadcaster, whose sight loss wasdue to a rare genetic condition known as Incontinentia Pigmenti, was among the first to meet Blind Barbie and promotional images for the launch show Lucy and her guide dog, Miss Molly, with blind Barbie.
Unlike previous Barbie dolls, whose accessories included lipsticks, handbags and hairdryers, Blind Barbie is equipped with all the tools she needs to navigate the world successfully as a blind woman.
Blind Barbie (pictured) is the latest doll inthe Barbie Fashionistas range. She joins the first deaf Barbie and first Barbie with Down's syndrome
Disability campaigner and broadcaster Lucy Edwards (pictured), who had lost her full eyesight by the age of 17 due to a rare genetic condition, was among the first to meet Blind Barbie - along with her guide dog Miss Molly
The silver, aviator-style sunglasses that she's wearing on her head are as fashionable as they are functional, since people with blindness or low vision are often sensitive to light.
In her right hand, Blind Barbie clutches a red and white cane complete with a marshmallow tip - an instrument which affords blind people greater independence by helping them to walk without assistance.
The blind Barbie doll has also been designed to have movement in the elbows to ensure that using the cane is as comfortable as possible.
With her eyes facing up and out, the new doll seeks to accurately portray the sometimes distant gaze of someone with blindness, while her glamorous outfit is made from textured materials that children with low-vision will find satisfying to play with.
With luscious brown locks and dressed in apurple rara skirt with glittery piping and a pink, cap-sleeve top, Blind Barbie proves that blindness need not prevent individuals from enjoying fashion - or high heels.
The colour purple is often linked with inclusion and diversity worldwide given its associations with dignity, respect and empowerment.
Lucy added: '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. It means everything to me.'
Since blind and low-vision individuals often have sensitivity to light, the new doll's sunglasses (left) are as functional as they are fashionable.Blind Barbie also holds a cane in her right hand (right) and has movement in her elbows for maximum comfort when using it
Lucy, 28, started posting online about her life as a blind woman when she was a teenager and began her award-winning broadcasting career at 20
Striving to create a world where diversity is celebrated and recognised as a normal aspect of life, Lucy started posting on social media about her life living with blindness as a teenager.
Having begun her award-winning broadcasting career at 20, she authored her debut book ‘Blind, Not Broken’ in March 2024, has a children’s novel ‘Ella Jones vs. The Sun Stealer’ in the works.
Mattel's newest doll was created in collaboration with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).
The body helped tocreate accessible packaging for the doll, including the placement and writing of ‘Barbie’ in braille on the package.
The launch is equally supported bythe UK's Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), which played a role in ensuring the finished doll accurately depicted individuals with blindness and low vision.
Debbie Miller, Director of Customer Advice & Support at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: '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.
'We're so pleased with the details that have gone into designing this new Barbie, the tactile clothes as well as the cane and the sunglasses.
'It's an acknowledgment that not everyone can see well, which means a lot to the blind and partially sighted community.
Lucy has described how she was embarrassed by her cane when she was younger. She's explained how seeing Barbie with a cane would have made her feel less alone
'This is a positive step forward in helping children and adults with sight loss feel like they belong and are recognised.'
Blind Barbieis the latest doll in the Barbie Fashionistas range, which also includes the first deaf Barbie and first Barbie with Down's syndrome, which was released in April 2023.
British model Ellie Goldstein, 21, who lives with Down's syndrome and has worked with Vogue, Gucci and Adidas, celebrated the arrival of the new doll, admitting she was 'overwhelmed' with joy when she saw the toy.
Mattel worked with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in the US to design the doll to better represent women living with the condition, and she comes with a shorter frame and longer torso, as well as features which are generally associated with Down's syndrome.
Her face and frame is larger than other Barbie dolls to represent the body shape of many women living with Down's syndrome.
Her face is also rounder, with smaller ears, a flat nasal bridge and almond-shaped eyes. Her palm includes one single line, which is a characteristic that can be associated to Down's syndrome.
The doll comes dressed in a blue and yellow dresses with a butterfly pattern: the colours associated with Down's syndrome awareness.
Her pink necklace made of three upward chevrons, which represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome.
Blind Barbie is dressed in a fashionable outfit featuring a purple rara skirt with glittery piping and a cap-sleeve pink top.The colour purple is important for its associations with dignity, respect and empowerment
This genetic material causes the characteristics associated with the condition. The chevrons, which look like small arrows, are a symbol of 'The Lucky Few,' representing the people who live with Down's syndrome.
Mattel has left nothing to chance, and this Barbie's choice of footwear is also significant.
She wears pink ankle foot orthotics (also called AFOs for short) which match her other accessories.
AFOs are mostly used in the US for children with the condition, and while not all people with Down's syndrome wear them, Mattel opted to represent the adaptive equipment by including them as accessories for its doll.
Kandi Pickard, the president and CEO of the NDSS, said it was an 'honour' to consult on the doll's thoughtful design.
'This means so much for our community, who for the first time, can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them,' she said.
'This Barbie serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of representation. It is a huge step forward for inclusion and a moment that we are celebrating,' she added.
Mattel released its first ever Barbie doll with Down's Syndrome as part of its inclusive Fashionista line in April 2023. Pictured: British Model Ellie Goldstein revealed she was 'overwhelmed' with the toy's arrival
Ellie Goldstein was one of the first people to see the doll in the UK and was overwhelmed with emotion.
The model, who is one of British Vogue's cover stars this May, said: 'I am so happy that there is a Barbie with Down’s syndrome. Seeing the doll, I felt so overwhelmed - it meant a lot to me and I’m so honoured and proud that Barbie chose me to show the doll to the world.
'Diversity is important to me as people need to see more people like me out there in the world and not be hidden away,' she added.
Carol Boys, the Chief Executive of the UK Down’s Syndrome Association also welcomed the doll's addition to the Fashionista line.
