The first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome was released by Mattel “to allow even more children to see themselves in Barbie.”

Mattel reps say “We are proud to introduce a Barbie doll with Down syndrome to better reflect the world around us and further our commitment to celebrating inclusion through play.”

In the past, Mattel’s Barbie has been criticized for spreading unrealistic beauty standards for the children who play with the doll. In recent years, the company has tried to move away from that reputation by offering more diverse dolls. It started making Barbie and Ken dolls with wheelchairs, vitiligo, hearing aids, and prosthetic limbs. The company unveiled its “most diverse doll line” in the 2023 Fashionistas lineup, which includes the doll with Down syndrome.

Their goal is to enable all children to see themselves in Barbie, while also encouraging children to play with dolls who do not look like themselves. Doll play outside of a child’s own lives and experience can teach understanding and build a greater sense of empathy, leading to a more accepting world.

Barbie worked with the National Down Syndrome Society in order to accurately represent a person with Down syndrome. That included shaping the doll’s body to include a shorter frame and longer torso and a round face that features smaller ears and almond-shaped, slanted eyes, the NDSS said in their announcement.

The new doll wears a yellow and blue dress with butterflies, all symbols associated with Down syndrome awareness, according to NDSS.

Even the new Barbie’s pink necklace has special meaning. It has three upward chevrons are meant to represent “the three copies of the 21^st chromosome, which is the genetic material that causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome,” according to the organization.

NDSS President and CEO Kandi Pickard said in the group’s statement, “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.”

Ellie Goldstein, a British model with Down Syndrome, took to Instagram in a partnership with Mattel to share how important seeing the doll was to her.

The Barbie doll with Down syndrome will be available at major retailers this summer and fall for $10.99.

Don’t forget – the new Barbie movie will also be released soon.

Here are some of the most unique and forward thinking Barbies of all time-

• Christie (1968)

  Over the years Barbie has had several friends and family members, each with their own look and backstory. The 60’s introduced Christie, Barbie’s first African American friend and doll. While seeing Barbie’s black counterpart in almost every fashion change is very common now, Christie was quite notable for her time, being one of the few black dolls on the market. Two years later, she was even given a boyfriend by the name of Brad, the first dark skinned male doll in the line.

• Career Girl Barbie (1963)

  This doll was released during the second wave of the feminist movement in the US, and showed that a woman could also find her place in the workplace, whether the world was ready for it or not! Career Girl Barbie was made to inspire girls to dream of jobs outside of the home. She came in a very fashionable suit jacket and hat, and was ready to take on the world from her desk. Other versions have had the same theme, but this one stands out as the original!

• Astronaut Barbie (1965)

  In 1957 the space race was on, and several countries wanted to put a man on the moon. America made history when they finally did it in 1969 with Apollo 11’s famous landing, But – Mattel was actually 4 years ahead of them. Astronaut Barbie was released with her own moon walking shoes and suit in 1965. It had a plastic helmet and grey suit complete with metal zipper and buckles. She might not have been made the safest space walk, but she definitely looked stylish as she took on the future!

• Presidential Candidate Barbie (1992- )

  Several countries around the world have had female leaders for a long time, but the US is still struggling to catch up. Barbie has attempted to run for President almost every election year since 1992. While not initially successful, it might have been because the early versions of this doll came dressed in evening wear with the more presidential outfit to the side. But in recent years, Barbie has reshaped her image, and even has a female running mate.  Perhaps one day – President Barbie!

• Love Wins Barbie (2017)

  In 2017, amid the ongoing movement for marriage rights, the instagram account, @barbiestyle, made a post that seemingly threw their dolls  in for support. The dolls shown in the series of photos are Barbie, and a new doll based on noted fashion blogger Aimee Song. The Love Wins t-shirt that both dolls are wearing was originally designed and sold by Aimee Song to raise funds for The Trevor Project, a nonprofit concentrating on preventing suicide among gay youth. 

• Barbie Fashionistas (2016-)

  This is one of the most talked about Barbie lines. In 2016, Mattel gave Barbie a complete makeover. Since then, a variety of dolls have been released under the Fashionistas brand: Curvy, petite, tall and original, one with a hearing aid, all with different colored hair and different face sculpts – all in an attempt to reflect a larger portion of the diversity in the world. Ken has even joined in with new designs and fashions of his own and, yes – the man bun!

• Dolls of the World (1980)

  Barbie’s blonde hair and thin design are definitely iconic. Unfortunately, while making her a celebrity, the toy line failed to represent women of all shapes, sizes and colors. In the early ‘80s, Mattel decided to correct that with a line of dolls of the world made to showcase other countries and cultures around the globe, giving the brand a more global appeal. Some of these dolls sparked controversy, due to being based more on stereotypes than the actual people of the area, but he move was definitely the variety the dolls needed – missteps aside. This collection is also notable as the first to provide different cultural face sculpts.

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