Barbie Introduces First Blind Doll & Black Barbie With Down Syndrome

If you have a Barbie kid in your life then you’re probably familiar with the Fashionista line. These are not your mother’s Barbies — or your Barbies, for that matter.

Since 2016, the Fashionista dolls have offered kids more than 175 looks in a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions. There are dolls that use wheelchairs (my daughter’s hands-down favorite), dolls with vitiligo and alopecia, and others with prosthetics and hearing aids all to better reflecting the wide world of kids playing with them. And now, Barbie is introducing the first blind Barbie and the first Black Barbie with Down syndrome in their latest Fashionista lineup.

The company partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure doll designs accurately reflect the communities they are designed to represent.

The blind Barbie, whose eyes better reflect the sometimes distinct gaze of a blind person, comes with a white and red cane with an identifiable “marshmallow tip” and cute sunglasses. (Some blind or low-vision individuals are sensitive to light, so these give Barbie the additional eye protection she needs.) She also has elbow articulations to ensure more realistic cane use.

Both her clothing and packaging were designed with accessibility in mind. Her outfit is vibrant and tactile (satiny blouse, ruffled skirt) —with high contrast hook and loop fasteners and an elastic waistband for easier outfit swaps — and the box she comes in includes braille.

“It was an honor to collaborate with Barbie on the development of the blind Barbie doll,” said Eric Bridges, CEO and President of AFB. “Barbie was committed to represent individuals with blindness and low vision throughout all stages of the design process, from the doll’s sculpt to the dress pattern: goal is to inspire boundless opportunities for everyone, ultimately leading to a world of greater accessibility and inclusion."

While Barbie introduced a doll with Down syndrome last year (earning Mattel a Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year award presented by the Toy Association), the doll only came in a white skin tone. This year, Barbie once again partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and a focus group of Black people from the Down syndrome community to ensure authenticity in the doll’s sculpt, hair, fashion (her blue and yellow dress represents Down syndrome awareness) and glasses. This Barbie has a shorter frame, longer torso, and facial features common among individuals with Down syndrome.

“NDSS is thrilled to introduce a second Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Having this doll launched alongside the new Barbie doll with Blindness marks another important step in expanding representation for the disability community,” said Kandi Pickard, President and CEO of NDSS. “We are proud to partner with Barbie as they grow to reflect our diverse and beautiful world.”

Imaginative play is how children learn to navigate and understand the world. So these dolls are important representation for blind and low-vision kids and Black children with Down syndrome. But they’re also excellent additions to any child’s Barbie collection. Because it’s not just the kids who can see themselves in these toys who benefit, but children who might find a better connection to their peers who are blind and/or have Down syndrome.

“We recognize that Barbie is much more than just a doll,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls for Mattel. “She represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging ... [these new dolls] reinforce our commitment to creating products that represent global belonging and inclusivity in the doll aisle.”

The 2024 Fashionistas dolls, including the blind Barbie doll and Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome, are available online now and in store this Summer at major retailers for $10.99.