Barbie dolls
Published in Republican 2019
Carrie Writes
Barbie Dolls
Carrie Barrepski
I have very fond memories of spending hours playing with Barbie dolls with my sister and best friend as a young girl. We had many dolls, including all of the accessories, from cars to motor homes and a dream house. We would spend hours making up stories for our dolls, including background information. We had so much fun dressing them up and doing their hair.
Today Barbie dolls are available in different skin tones, body types, eye color and hairstyles. For the first time, Mattel will feature dolls with disabilities. One example is a Barbie doll that uses a wheelchair, while another one has a prosthetic leg.
Mattel’s head of design for Barbie, Kim Culmone, said, “For 60 years, Barbie has been a reflection of culture and fashion and that is key to the brand’s continued relevance. This year our Barbie line will include dolls reflecting physical disabilities in order to better represent the people and the world kids see around them.”
Mattel worked with experts at UCLA and Mattel Children’s Hospital to develop a wheelchair model similar to those used by individuals with physical disabilities. They used actual patients’ input to help designers make Barbie’s disabilities more realistic. The dolls with disabilities should be available this fall.
Playing with dolls can help children learn new skills and experiences while expanding their imagination.