Mattel has introduced its first Barbie doll with autism, designed with the active participation of the autistic community to portray, as faithfully as possible, the ways in which autistic people experience, process, and communicate with the world around them
The goal of this doll is to allow a greater number of children to recognize themselves and feel represented in the world of Barbie.
The development of the doll lasted more than 18 months and took place in partnership with the organization Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a nonprofit disability rights organization led and represented by people with autism themselves.
The new doll is part of the Barbie Fashionistas collection, known for its diversity of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and portrayals of various health conditions and disabilities.
“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world children see and the possibilities they imagine, and we are extremely proud to present our first Barbie with autism,” said Jamie Cygielman, Global Director of the doll line at Mattel.
“Designed with the guidance of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, this doll expands the concept of inclusivity and reminds us that every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie,” she added.
In close collaboration with ASAN, the Barbie design team made thoughtful decisions to authentically reflect experiences with which people on the autism spectrum can identify.
The doll has movable elbows and wrists that allow for gestures such as self-regulating hand movements; her gaze is slightly turned to the side; and she comes with accessories such as a fidget spinner, noise-cancelling headphones, and a tablet with augmentative and alternative communication apps that help with daily communication. She wears a comfortable, casual dress designed to reduce sensory overload and flat shoes that allow stability and ease of movement.
“As proud members of the autistic community, it is extremely important to us that young autistic people see authentic and joyful representations of themselves,” said Colin Killick, Executive Director of ASAN.
“This Barbie doll is the result of close collaboration and sharing of experiences throughout the entire design process, to ensure it truly represents and celebrates the autistic community, including tools that help us be more independent,” he added.
To mark the launch, Barbie is partnering with a number of autism community advocates, including mother and daughter Precious and Mikko Mirage, autistic fashion designer and visual artist Aarushi Pratap, and others. A special video capturing their personal experiences with autism and first reactions to the Barbie doll with autism was filmed and is available on Mattel’s YouTube channel.
“Dolls have always given me comfort, stability, and joy. I have been collecting Barbie dolls since I was four years old, and this Barbie with autism makes me feel truly seen and understood,” said Madison Marilla, adding that she hopes the doll will help others better understand autism.
Like previous Barbie dolls representing people with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome, and blindness, the Barbie with autism was developed under community leadership so that as many children as possible can see themselves in Barbie. The entire Fashionistas collection now includes more than 175 different looks and encourages children to understand different life experiences through play.
Mattel also relies on years of research conducted in cooperation with Cardiff University, which shows that playing with dolls activates parts of the child’s brain associated with empathy and social skills and can contribute to the development of social skills in all children, including those with neurodivergent traits.
To celebrate the launch, Barbie will donate more than 1,000 Barbie dolls with autism to leading pediatric hospitals that provide specialized care to children on the autism spectrum, with the aim of bringing joy, comfort, and a sense of representation, while also emphasizing the power of play in strengthening connection and self-confidence. The Barbie doll with autism is available on the Mattel shop and through leading retail partners.
Employment statistics at this moment do not support the proclaimed goal of the European Commission of creating a society of equal opportunities
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There are still no significant improvements in better positioning Europeans with disabilities in the labour market.
Proof of this is also a joint letter that as many as 125 organisations sent these days to the European Commission, calling on it to publish a new EU Guarantee for the Employment and Skills of Persons with Disabilities as part of the updated Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In this letter, organisations state what targeted funds and programmes are needed to reduce the high unemployment rate of persons with disabilities. Among other things, organisations are calling for dedicated funding to enable access to regular employment opportunities, apprenticeships or training. Likewise, better employment opportunities in sheltered workshops. Employment programmes must be designed in such a way as to offer support to companies and organisations in providing the necessary accommodations for a person with a disability in the workplace.
What is, however, particularly important for organisations is that the EU Guarantee for the Employment and Skills of Persons with Disabilities must not affect the right to receive disability benefits and other state support.
– This Guarantee is a key step to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal conditions in the world of work. If we want a competitive Europe, it is essential that we provide everyone with equal opportunities to contribute to the community – said Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum.
Employment statistics at this moment do not support the proclaimed goal of the European Commission of creating a society of equal opportunities. Namely, only 52.7 percent of persons with disabilities are employed in the European Union, compared to 76.7 percent of persons without disabilities.
Previous research by the European Disability Forum shows that the gap is mainly a consequence of the lack of necessary accommodations and an insufficient supply of assistive technologies. In addition, the digital skills of employees with disabilities are at a significantly lower level compared to those without disabilities.
The joint letter sent to the European Commission calls for the Guarantee to be a key action of the ‘Enhanced Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’, and it will be presented during the meeting of the College of Commissioners of the European Commission at the beginning of this May.
The abuser managed for years to keep the woman isolated from family and friends, and even the authorities had no knowledge of her captivity. She had no access to a phone or the internet
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His name, James Earl Johnson, has recently been filling crime reports across major media outlets in the United States.
He gained unwanted notoriety after it was discovered that he had kept his 46-year-old wife with a disability locked inside their home in Clear Lake, in the U.S. state of Texas, for five years.
The motives behind this shocking case of domestic violence remain unknown, as does the identity of the victim, who is only known to have a severe disability.
During all that time, Johnson managed to isolate her from relatives and friends, and authorities were unaware of her situation. She had no access to a phone or the internet.
Police revealed that the woman was physically abused and severely malnourished. He allegedly gave her only one egg a day and a modest dinner. In addition, he failed to provide the necessary medical care required for her disability.
Johnson ultimately sealed his own fate. Two weeks ago, he briefly left his phone on a bedside table in the room where the woman was locked. She quickly used the opportunity to call the police. During the call, Johnson entered the room, slapped her, and ended the call, but the police had enough time to trace the location.
He was arrested the same day and charged with injuring and abusing a person with a disability. He was later released on $100,000 bail, but only temporarily, as he is expected to face a long prison sentence after trial.
Johnson had purchased a five-bedroom house worth one million dollars, where he had lived with his wife for at least six years, appearing to lead a normal life. Meanwhile, the woman remains in hospital, undergoing rehabilitation after her ‘peaceful’ married life.
Until the development of these sneakers, Chris Nikic regularly struggled to run even a few kilometers without pain and blisters, as there was no footwear designed to meet the unique needs of his foot anatomy
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American of Croatian descent Chris Nikic served as an inspiration to one of the world’s largest sports equipment companies, Adidas, in creating a new model of sneakers specifically designed for people with Down syndrome.
Chris Nikic was the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. At Adidas, they say that through their shared ambition with Chris to break barriers, they embarked on a multi-year mission to design running shoes that meet the unique needs of people with disabilities and make sport more accessible.
Until the release of this sneaker, called Supernova Rise 3 Adaptive, Chris regularly struggled to run even a few kilometers without pain and blisters because no shoe had been designed to meet the specific needs of his foot anatomy. Since partnering with Adidas, Chris has worn various prototypes that not only allowed him to complete three Ironmans, four half-Ironmans, and 20 marathons.
– What feels like a pain level of 2 out of 10 to most people feels like an 8 to me. Adidas understood exactly what I needed in a shoe. Now I love running because my feet no longer hurt – said Chris.
To ensure the sneakers meet diverse needs, Adidas partnered with GAMUT Management, a leader in inclusive product design, to facilitate product testing that provided the team with key insights and feedback throughout the development process. These focus groups included people with Down syndrome, wheelchair users, individuals living with chronic illnesses, people with mobility and fine motor challenges, as well as those with upper and lower limb differences, and also included two Paralympians, Tracy Otto and Haven Shepherd.
– My experience collaborating with Adidas on this project has been incredible and a true adventure. The entire team was dedicated to making this the best adaptive sneaker available, incorporating features that give me the freedom and independence I had been missing for so long – said Paralympian Tracy Otto.
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