BARBIE WITH DOWN SYNDROME NOW AVAILABLE
Mattel has just launched a Barbie with Down syndrome. It’s the first of its kind for the toy manufacturer.
The doll’s dress are adorned with the two colours associated with Down syndrome awareness: blue and yellow.
The colours aren’t the only elements related to the syndrome. The doll also wears a pendant necklace with three chevrons. The chevrons represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome.
Another element often used by children with Down syndrome is the ankle foot orthotics attached to the doll’s ankle.
Kanki Pickard, NDSS president and CEO said in a press release that this is Mattel’s most diverse doll on the market.
“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.”
This isn’t the first doll manufactured by Mattel to focus on inclusion. In 2020, a doll with vitiligo, one with no hair and a doll with a darker skin tone was released.
CBS News reports that Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome, according to the CDC. Each year, about 6000 babies born in the United States have Down syndrome and is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States.
Image credit: Reuters