WASHINGTON. Mattel has launched the first Barbie with Down syndrome on the market. This is the latest attempt by the US toy giant to represent as many women as possible after the “curvy” Barbie, the very tall one, the short one up to, in more recent years, the deaf doll, the one in a wheelchair and the one with a prosthetic leg.
The original, released in 1959, had long legs, a tiny waist and flowing blonde hair. According to a study by the University of South Australia, there was a one in 100,000 chance that a woman looked like a Barbie. Hence the battle of different organizations for a doll more representative of real women.
In 2016, Barbie Curvy, Barbie Tall and Barbie Petite came out, as well as different skin tones to represent different ethnicities. In this case, Mattel said it worked closely with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure the doll accurately represented a person with Down syndrome.
Foto Mattel / Catherine Harbour
Barbie also wears a pink necklace that represents the three tips of the 21st chromosome, the one that causes the syndrome. “This means a lot to our community, who for the first time can play with a Barbie doll that looks like her,” said association president Kandi Pickard.