Disability representation matters. So, it’s no wonder that the media has covered the Mattel toy company’s recent release of two new Barbie dolls with disabilities so enthusiastically. One year after Mattel released its very first Barbie with Down syndrome, the company has introduced a Black Barbie with Down syndrome as well as its first ever blind Barbie.
According to Disability Scoop, “The dolls are part of the Barbie Fashionistas line, a collection aimed at promoting inclusivity that offers over 175 options featuring various skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions.”
Though Barbie and Mattel should be commended on their increasing sensitivity to disability representation, they aren’t the only doll manufacturers that are concerned with offering dolls for children with disabilities. Here are some other brands that sell dolls with disabilities and/or accessories such as wheelchairs, crutches and other assistive devices.
1. Paradise Galleries sells an adorable little boy doll with Down syndrome. “Noah” (pictured above) comes dressed in overalls and a striped hat and was created for Down syndrome awareness by artist and sculptor Lauren Faith Jaimes.
2. A Doll Like Me, a nonprofit organization, sells custom-made dolls that look like the children who receive them. Founded by Amy Jandrisevits, a pediatric social worker, A Doll Like Me has dolls with limb differences, amputations, and genetic disorders. Interviewed by Ability Magazine, Jandrisevits commented on the double messages we give children with disabilities “You are beautiful. You are perfect just the way you are, but… you’re never going to see yourself. This is why I make these dolls. And the most powerful part about them is that for the first time in these kids’ lives, they’re seeing themselves.”
3. In 2020, American Girl introduced customers to Joss Kendrick, a doll with congenital hearing loss. Joss comes with a removable hearing aid and stars in two American Girl books. Though she is the first disabled doll that the company has created, AG previously sold accessories such as wheelchairs, service dogs and arm crutches.
4. Journey Girls sells dolls that resemble American Girl dolls but at a lower price point. Journey Girls dolls don’t portray girls with disabilities, but the company does sell accessories such as wheelchairs and insulin supplies.
5. Sew Able Dolls, has a line of hand-made play therapy dolls called Special Like Me. Some of the dolls have above knee and below knee prostheses and others have bald heads and come with wigs and hats for children coping with chemotherapy. Sew Able also sells crutches and doll-size physical therapy items. A portion of every sale benefit children’s hospitals.